Mass Effect 1. Chapter 1 Sunshine

Claire peered over Liara's shoulder as the asari checked her broker feeds. It had been five months since they had adopted Inna, and the girl followed them around like a puppy. Needless to say, Inna was shocked to learn that her new mother was the Shadow Broker. Liara assured her new daughter that she only used the Broker resources for just purposes, but Inna seemed fine with it regardless. To her, it only made her new mom that much cooler.

The littlest Shepard's room was downstairs, but she slept with Liara and Claire most of the time. She loved the warmth that the welcoming bed offered and the strong arms that held her through the night. Both reminded her that she was loved again, and that her new parents were never leaving. Inna's grades had even improved, and she seemed to be coming out of her shell. She was quickly making new friends and her parents encouraged her through it all.

Inna loved her parents so much, she had even shared melds with them both as well as with her two older sisters. She seemed to fit in perfectly in the Shepard household and did everything she could to help her parents keep the place tidy. She helped Liara make dinner on weekends home away from school and aided Claire in cleaning and washing the dishes. She never talked back, and she always worked with a blissful smile.

Then there was Lydia. Inna avoided that asari whenever she could, but because Lydia was practically a Shepard herself, it wasn't easy. Lydia made attempts to fix the rift between them, but Inna hated her too much. Liara and Claire tried to talk to Inna, telling her that that was then and that Lydia was trying to make things right. Inna promised her parents that she would try and make things better, but did not live up to the promise. Last year, when Rose had first gone to the school, Lydia had been manipulated by a powerful girl at school, named Jaris. Lydia had let go of her morals and bullied everyone at school. Luckily, Rose helped Lydia see reason, and Lydia spent the rest of the year apologizing. The only thing was, Inna got the worst treatment, including several trips to the therapist and sometimes physical beatings. Inna showed no signs of ever forgiving the poor asari. Liara and Claire decided not to push her and merely worked at trying to get Inna to feel at home. It was not that Inna didn't feel at home, but she still asked to get things from the refrigerator as if she was just a visitor. Liara and Claire both agreed that this was because Inna spent more time at school rather than with them.

It was now late Thursday night, and the girls would be coming home from school tomorrow night for the start of a two week long spring break. Claire placed her hand on her wife's shoulders and watched the news feeds from countless colonies around the galaxy. Lately, some colonies had begun to go abruptly dark. When investigated, all inhabitants were executed, or, to the galaxy's horror, abused and then killed. No culprit had been found, which troubled the Citadel council. Shepard's unlikely friend, Councilor Tevos, tried to give them up to date news on any new evidence, but there really wasn't much to give. Even the Shadow Broker herself could not scrape together anything concrete, much to her frustration.

This, coupled with the growing numbers of people dying of unknown illnesses, was causing Galactic governments to mobilize their militaries for the first time since the Reaper War. The militaries were, sad to say, mere husks of their former might. Even the turians had cut their military spending in favor for rebuilding efforts, like the rest of the galaxy. The once powerful turian navy was down to less than fifty ships and only had two dreadnoughts that were space worthy.

Claire herself had been one of the people to fall ill to the seemingly incurable disease. The only thing that saved her life was a wonder cure created by the Matriarch Enya Rangala, who was also Rose's biological mother. In return for Rangala giving them the cure, Liara and Claire had to take Rose as their own and raise her. The only catch was that Rose had a skin condition: she was the only asari in the galaxy with scarlet skin. She had always been the bubbliest child, but lately she seemed to really be growing up. She was attending school and even had a girlfriend, Lydia. Lydia had been Rose's lifelong friend and childhood accomplice, but the two had finally, after almost eighty years, expressed their love for each other.

"What are you thinking?" Liara asked, she too watching the feeds.

"I'm thinking this puts our plans on hold," Claire responded. "And I don't like that." For the past few years, Claire and Liara had put forward plans to build their little corner of the galaxy. They had claimed their own garden world from the asari high government named Velighied. It was a mountainous world that spent nine months out of the year in a lovely spring time. It was almost all alpine, with a few scattered oceans here and there. Liara and Claire had sat down with an architect and gone over plans for their new house. It was going to be three times as big as their current house, with both wanting space for Liara's matron years. Claire got a kick out of that.

They were also building identical houses across the mountains for special people that would be joining them on this peaceful world. Miranda and her asari wife and daughter would be joining them, as well as John and Lana Winters, Shiala and her wife, Lydia's parents, and Garrus and Tali would have a summer home there. All of these houses would be connected by a luxury bullet train with a scenic view of the mountains. This way, they could always meet up at a moments notice. None of the houses would be in view of one another, giving the illusion of seclusion. Surrounding the houses, but certainly not in eyesight, would be outposts for Liara's Shadow Broker Mercs. They would provide security for the habitants and man massive anti-orbital cannons. Surprisingly, Liara did not have to put much of her resources into this. The asari government did not forget Claire's contributions to the Reaper War, and were funding the majority of this project. None of the Matriarchs knew that Liara was the Shadow Broker, but they knew enough to be certain that the maiden was not someone to get into poor relations with.

"I figured that," Liara said. "But what specifically?"

"You won't like it."

"I also figured that."

"I want to take care of this myself," Claire said. Liara dropped her head.

"Explain," Liara sighed.

"I want to go and find out what this nonsense is," Claire said. "Remember what we've been talking about?"

"You… you want to still do that?" Liara asked. A month ago, Liara had asked for Claire's opinion on setting up a fake colony, and filling it with Shadow Broker troops. Then, whoever came and attacked the colonies would be ambushed by highly armed and highly trained ex Special Forces operatives. Claire had thought that that was a sound plan but had added that she may want to join the troops.

"I'll go in under an alias and integrate myself into the troops," Claire nodded. "And, if I find anything suspicious going on in the private army, I'll let you know. I could act as a mole for you as well."

"Claire, that is the last thing that I want," Liara responded firmly. "Why do you want to leave home?"

"It's not that, Liara," Claire said. "I just want to figure this out, that way we can finally get our project started. Maybe I can even learn something about this disease that's killing random people."

"I would rather have you at my side than all the peace in the galaxy," Liara answered. Claire hugged her asari wife tightly and pressed her against the desk.

"Goddess, you're beautiful," Claire whispered alluringly in Liara's 'ear.' Liara gave Claire and odd look.

"Goddess?" Liara asked. "Have you converted to the Athame Doctrine?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Claire purred, nuzzling Liara's neck.

"Claire, this won't work," Liara tried.

"What are you talking about, babe?" Claire asked, her hands moving down Liara's back and softly grabbing her perfect rear.

"This," Liara said. "You think that if you seduce me, I'll do anything you say. It won't work… this time." Claire massaged Liara's ass and lay gentle kisses against her jaw. Liara closed her eyes and slowly let Claire take control. She was putty in this humans hands!

"Let's move this upstairs," Claire whispered in a husky voice.

"Goddess, I don't know if I'll make it all that way…"

"Try baby… try…"

* * *

The Following night…

* * *

From Claire's position on the front porch, she could hear the skycar perfectly as it dropped out of the sky and through the swirling dark clouds. Thunder boomed and lightning cracked in the humid Thessian sky. Claire wrapped her arms around herself as this early spring storm only grew more ominous. As the skycar settled on the gravel driveway and the engine stopped, Liara came out and hugged Claire from behind.

"You know how Benezia is going to react, don't you?" Liara asked softly as rain drops began to fall.

"I do," Shepard said simply.

"You know how Rose will react?" Liara asked.

"Yes."

"How about our Inna?"

"Yes," Claire sighed. "Liara… I'm doing this for all of us."

"I know you are… but I still don't like it."

"You'll be monitoring me the whole time," Claire smiled. "I'll link my hard suit up to your feeds and you'll be with me the whole way."

"Well, there is that." They shared a soft, loving kiss before their children came to meet them. Inna reached them first, as usual. She was kissed and hugged by both parents before the girl went inside to drop off her bag. Rose and Lydia came next, hand in hand. They rushed through the rain and gave the adults hugs before proceeding inside. Last but not least, Benezia came running up the porch in an effort to stay out of the warm rain. Claire looked at her daughter with absolute pride.

Benezia was a spitting image of her mother, right down to the cute freckles and cobalt lips. She was Claire's only biological daughter out of the three that she had, and Benezia looked up to her father like no other. Ever since she could crawl as an infant, she had been following her father around. Claire could still remember, after over seventy years, how she carried Benezia on her shoulder's and ran about the house making spaceship noises, Benezia's giggles filling the air. Claire missed having her daughter around every day, but she knew that attending school would be good for Benezia.

Benezia's best friend was a girl named Katya T'ney. Katya's mother was the principal of the school, and her sister was the martial arts teacher there. Katya was one of the best markswomen on Thessia, a title she was very proud of. She had been attending championships ever since she was old enough to own a rifle and had appeared in the news a few times. She also had a massive crush on Benezia and did her best to impress the girl at all times. Unfortunately, Katya could not join them until two days from now, as she was in the middle of a shooting comp.

Benezia hugged her father and mother tightly and ran a hand over her crests. Claire led her family inside and shut the door. The smell of hot food drifted out of the kitchen and Lydia and Rose could be heard running upstairs like little children, laughing and chatting. Claire had watched over the past year as Liara became more and more agitated when she saw Lydia and Rose together. Lydia had been friends with Rose since they were three, but with the advent of their new romantic relationship, Liara was worried that Rose was finally growing up. Also, though Liara would never admit it, Claire was sure that the poor Broker was afraid her daughter would leave her for Lydia. Claire knew that this wasn't true, that Rose adored and all but worshiped her mother, but Rose was coming of age. She was a maiden! She would want to explore and learn and travel… Claire and Liara had been lucky that their daughters had seemed comfortable at home all these years but that time was rapidly coming to an end.

Claire sat at the table and just watched her family move about the kitchen. Sometimes Claire would do this, just look at them. Lovingly but… thoughtful at the same time. Claire would never have imagined that this would be her life. Three daughters and a wife that weren't even her species, well on her way to living to a thousand years old, having more money than she could fathom… Claire was lucky Liara was here. Liara was her rock, the brains of the house. Claire had been with her wife for almost a century and could hardly operate without her presence. Claire looked at her hands and rubbed them together. The only evidence that she was human was the fact that she looked like one, but Claire didn't feel human any more, which even to her sounded ridiculous. Claire felt alien… she felt asari. She had even recently begun to talk like one. Claire ran a hand through her hair and felt a kiss on her cheek. Claire looked up and took a deep breath. Rose smiled at her father and rubbed the back of her neck.

Rose's red skin looked beautiful in the dim light of the kitchen, and she almost seemed to glow. Her perfect, athletic form was pleasing to anyone who looked at her… at least the ones who didn't think of her as a freak of nature. Rose had a gorgeous smile and her shining red eyes reflected all light, though lately her eyes had begun to change. They were slowly turning a fiery orange that was almost hypnotizing beautiful. Her thin lips were always curled back into a smile and her eyes darted back and forth as she soaked in all the information she could. Rose was always learning and grew more beautiful by the day.

As Rose stood up straight, purple hands wrapped around her waist from behind. Lydia kissed Rose's cheek, her usual greeting for her favorite asari. If Rose was beautiful, Lydia was a goddess. She had a stunning face with high cheekbones and full lips. Her violet skin looked flawless even for an asari and her body was without imperfection. Her perfect curves and breasts promised pleasure. Even her voice was perfect. The girl was like Miranda… but owed her beauty to nature. Lydia could have anyone she wanted… but she chose Rose, The Red Asari. To Lydia, Rose was the very image of perfection and stability. To Lydia, there was no one but Rose.

Rose turned in Lydia's hands and kissed her deeply. Lydia's hands were on Rose's hips, and Rose's hands were around Lydia's upper back. Claire felt great for her daughter, but didn't miss Liara's scowl. Claire chuckled to herself and continued thinking. Frankly, Claire was a bit surprised at Lydia. Even for an asari, the girl seemed to be taking her relationship with Rose dreadfully slow. They may share the same bed every night, but it never went farther than that. They kissed, sometimes with tongue, but the two, as far as Claire could tell, had not had sex. Claire wasn't one to push, but it was pretty obvious what Lydia wanted to do to Rose. Her body language broadcasted it out to the world. If Lydia wanted to bed Rose so badly, why hadn't she? Perhaps it was Rose not feeling entirely ready? Maybe Lydia was afraid to push Rose? Both? Claire had always thought that she would be very protective of her daughters when it came to… that field of… stuff. Hell, she was, but it was a bit reassuring that Lydia desired Rose so much. It certified that the Red Asari had someone who would love her unconditionally and want to spend their life with her.

Everyone sat down at the table and Lydia's right hand held Rose's underneath the table. The girls all began to talk and eat while Liara and Claire waited to break the news of her departure in a month. Inna noticed this and asked timidly,

"What's wrong, daddy?" Shepard placed her hand on top of Inna's and looked at Liara for confirmation, who nodded.

"Alright, everyone," Claire said, standing up. "Liara and I have an important announcement, and I don't want any questions until were done. Alright?"

"What is it?" Rose asked, worry written across her face.

"Girls," Claire sighed. "I'm going away. I do not know, however, when I'll be back." There were four simultaneous gasps.

"You all know how your mother and I have been planning our new home on Velighied," Claire continued. "Well, with the current slaughtering of outlaying colonies and worlds, which Velighied is one of, our plans have been delayed far longer than they should have. Liara and I have been planning this for a while, and we have decided to take matters into our own hands. Liara has devised a plan to set up a fake colony on one of border planets and fill it with her forces. I'll be going to oversee everything and find out what's going on. Like I said, I don't know when I'll be back, but I'll be back as soon as I am able."

"Don't worry about your father, girls," Liara said. "I'll be monitoring her the whole time. For all we know, this plan won't even work."

"Now you can ask questions."

"That's it?" Benezia asked. "You… you're just leaving?"

"In a week."

"W-why can't we get someone to else to oversee this?" Rose asked, tears already beginning to fall.

"Because, we want someone who knows what they're doing and isn't doing this for money," Liara said. "Someone who won't run if things get too hot."

"I… I… Excuse me…" Inna rushed from the room. Claire clenched her hands. Of course Inna would take this hard. The poor girl was half Rose's and Benezia's age and had lost her parents in a car accident. Almost a year ago, she had been adopted by Claire and Liara, who found the girl charming and a quite the little ray of sunshine. Hence her nickname: Sunshine.

"I'll go talk to her," Claire said. Rose had her eyes shut tight and had stopped eating. Lydia kept her eyes on Claire as she left, but hugged her red asari close and whispered reassurances in her 'ear.' Benezia and Liara sat in silence, making them look like twins.

Claire followed the soft cries down to Inna's room, which was almost never used by the child. Claire rested her head on the doorframe and saw her youngest hugging her knees on the bed, silently letting tears fall. Claire stood at the edge of the bed and opened her arms wide. Inna rushed into them, burying her face in her beloved father's neck.

"I'll be back before you know it," Claire murmured. "Besides… I don't leave for a week anyways."

"It will go by too fast," Inna cried. "It always does."

"Sunshine…" Claire soothed, rubbing the girl's back gently. "Look at me…" Inna just barely met Claire's eyes, and Claire laid a gentle kiss on her soft lips. "I will be home as soon as possible. I'm doing this for all of us, Inna. For you. Have I shown you the plans for the new house? You'll be living like a queen."

"I'd rather have you than all the riches in the world," Inna whimpered. Claire hugged Inna close and kissed her.[er4]

"And I would rather have my Sunshine than all the wealth of the galaxy combined," Claire whispered.

"C-can you sing that song?" Inna asked. Claire smiled and nodded.

"Anything for my Sunshine." Claire laid on the bed and had Inna lay down against her front. Inna's back was pressed against Claire, and they spooned. Claire enveloped the girl in a tight embrace and Inna closed her eyes. Claire took a deep breath and began to sing.

"You are my sunshine  
My only sunshine  
You make me happy  
When the skies are grey  
You'll never know dear  
How much I love you  
So please don't take  
My sunshine  
Away,"

"The other night dear  
As I lay sleeping  
I dreamed I held you in my arms  
When I awoke dear  
I was mistaken  
And I held  
My head  
And cried,"

"You are my sunshine  
My only sunshine  
You make me happy  
When the skies are grey  
You'll never know dear  
How much I love you  
Please don't take  
My sunshine  
Away,"

"You are my sunshine  
My only sunshine  
You make me happy  
When the skies are grey  
You'll never know dear  
How much I love you  
Please don't take  
My sunshine  
Away…"

Claire listened and found that Inna had fallen asleep in her arms. Claire kissed her Sunshine's cheek and gently slid off the bed. She pulled a blanket over Inna and whispered,

"Goodnight, Sunshine. I love you." Claire slipped out of the room and gently closed the door. She would return later that night to take Inna upstairs. It would be good for her if Inna woke up with her parents. Claire looked to her right where the stairs led up into the living room. She watched as Lydia and Rose came downstairs.

"How is Inna?" Lydia asked.

"She's going to be alright," Claire smiled.

"She's asleep?" Lydia asked, hearing the soft breathing of an asari in sleep.

"Well, she did get up early to study for a big test," Rose sighed. Claire took Rose's hand.

"I want to talk to you two individually," Claire said. "Lydia? Could you just wait upstairs? Rose will get you when we're done." Lydia nodded respectfully and left.

"What's up?" Rose asked, not looking at her.

"Rose…"

"You don't have to, Daddy," Rose sighed. She hugged her father. "I know why you're doing this. I don't like it one bit, but I understand. Just promise you're coming home."

"I swear I am."

"Good."

"Now, let me say what I was going to say," Claire smiled. "Your Mom… Benezia… Inna. None of them like this, either. There will be a lot of tears. I want you to take care of everyone while I'm gone. Hopefully, I'll be back before the end of your break, but definitely no guarantees."

"Consider it done, Daddy," Rose smiled. "You didn't even have to ask."

"Good…" Claire looked at her daughter a few moments before sighing,

"Do you have any idea how proud of you I am?" Rose giggled and pulled her hood over her head. "And Goddess, you look hot in that hoodie."

"Goddess?"

"Ah, I did it again," Claire laughed. "I've been spending too much time with my asaris." Rose kissed her.

"Hey, Dad?" Rose asked. "Am I… pleasing… to look at?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I don't know… am I attractive?"

"Hell yeah you are. I mean… damn." Rose laughed and pushed her father playfully. Claire shushed her and glanced at the door next to them.

"Thank you, Daddy."

"Don't worry about your looks, Rosy," Claire smiled. "You're absolutely gorgeous." Rose blushed and nodded. "Now can you get Lydia for me?" Rose nodded and skipped upstairs, and as soon as she was out of earshot,

"'Am I attractive?'" Claire snorted. "Duh." Lydia walked down and leaned against the wall. Claire did the same.

"What is it?" Lydia smiled.

"I just asked Rose to take care of the family while I am gone," Claire said. "I do not want you to repeat what I am about to say to her." Lydia stood rigid.

"I do not keep secret's from her-"

"It's not like that," Claire assured. "I asked Rose to look after the family, but I want you to look after _her._" Claire nodded and Lydia relaxed.

"I see…" Lydia said. "Well, you did not need to ask. I have always, and will always, have her back."

"That's what I like to hear," Claire grinned. "Now… why haven't you fucked her yet?" Lydia almost screamed, but Claire covered her mouth. She placed a finger over her mouth and grinned. "I'm kidding." Lydia blushed like mad and took several deep breaths.[er5]

"I-I-I uh… oh, by the Goddess-"

"But seriously…" Claire said. "Why not?"

"I… I don't know…"

"Come on…"

"I… I guess because… you…"

"Huh?" Claire scoffed. Lydia sighed.

"I have noticed that Liara has been… irritable around me lately," Lydia said. "I guess I'm afraid to make you and Liara mad. And then there is Rose… I… I don't want to pressure her…"

"She was just asking me if I thought she was attractive," Claire said. "Perhaps she is ready." Lydia was still blushing furiously.

"Y-you approve of… this?"

"Look, Lydia, if there are two in this galaxy that are perfect for each other, it's you and my eldest," Claire replied. "You are exactly the kind of person I hoped my daughters would find one day. Smart, attractive, and thoughtful. Of course I approve."

"But Liara-"

"I'll handle Liara," Claire grinned. "Don't worry about it. Just make sure you guys play it safe, use a safe word, and know your limits. I hate to think my girl is growing up, but since she is… look. Goddess, I had this all planned out in my head. You are perfect for her and she is perfect for you. I want you guys to have a great time, but I'm not pressuring you. Just know that when you finally do, I won't disapprove." Lydia gave a small smile and a tiny nod.

"Thanks, Claire."

"Don't worry about it," Claire said, putting an arm around the asari. "You two have fun, and call me if Liara comes down on you."

"A-alright," Lydia said. "Um… how do I bring it up? To her?"

"That's up to you, kid."

* * *

That night…

* * *

Claire carried Inna tight against her chest into the bedroom. Liara waited in the comfortable bed, reading some headlines on her omni-tool. Claire tucked Inna in next to Liara and the asari caressed the girl's crests. Claire slipped Inna's shirt and pants off, slipping another shirt over her head. It was one of Claire's N7 shirts. Inna snuggled up to Liara in her sleep, and the Broker draped an arm around her. Claire slipped out of her over clothes and crawled into the bed. She curled up against Inna and kissed her delicately on her cheek.

"I love you, Claire," Liara said as she flicked the light off and drew under the covers.

"I love you too, Liara," Claire smiled. "Sleep well my asaris. Daddy loves you all."

Rose pounced on Lydia, who was lying in their shared bed. Lydia giggled and kissed her. Rose lay on her side next to her love and propped her head up on one elbow. She let her other hand drift across Lydia's abdomen. Lydia tried not to shiver under the Red Asari's wonderful touch. They were both in their underwear and Lydia's eyes kept travelling to Rose's cleavage. Rose seemed oblivious of this and kissed Lydia's stomach.

"Roll onto your stomach," Lydia smiled. Rose did so without even blinking. Lydia straddled her and gently began to rub Rose's shoulders. Rose sighed blissfully and whispered,

"Right… there. Oh… Goddess." Lydia felt herself wetting at Rose's moans and sighs and made desperate attempts to hide it. She bent down and kissed Rose's cheek.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

"No… I mean it. I love you like no other." Rose turned onto her back and threaded her hands in Lydia's.

"And I. Love. You. Like no other." Rose grinned. Lydia let Rose release her hands and travel her own up Lydia's stomach. Lydia often wondered why Rose loved her stomach so much.

"Perfect…" Rose murmured to herself. Lydia's hands travelled to her back and hovered over the clasp to her bra. She could do this right now… Lydia dropped her hands and slid off of Rose. Goddess damn it! She wasn't brave enough. Lydia promised herself that soon she would take Rose for herself. She curled up to Rose and ignored Rose's little huff.

"I was enjoying the view…"

"Let's go to bed, baby," Lydia smiled in her sleep. "I want to get up early and go swimming tomorrow." Rose sighed and nodded. She wrapped her arms around her goddess and kissed her deeply. Lydia never tired of Rose's touch… the feel of her lips against her skin… Lydia kissed Rose goodnight and shut the light off.

"I love you, sweetheart."

"I love you too, my Red Rose."

* * *

It was late at night when Claire felt a gentle shake on her shoulder. Claire rubbed sleep from her eyes and looked up blearily. Inna looked at her through the darkness, her eyes shining with tears.

"Inna?" Claire asked. "Inna what's wrong?"

"I had a nightmare," Inna whispered.

"Same one?"

"Uh huh." Ever since Inna had become their daughter, she would have a terrible nightmare every few months or so. It was always the same one. Claire and Liara would be driving Inna somewhere and a truck would hit them dead on, killing both adults. The same way Inna's birth parents had died.

"Come here, Sunshine," Claire soothed. Inna climbed on top of her and Shepard lay on her back. Inna was trembling, but soon calmed down as Claire began to caress her back. "Everything's alright… I'm alright. Mamma's alright. _You_ are alright."

"I-I love you, Daddy."

"I love you too, Inna…"

_"You are my sunshine  
My only sunshine  
You make me happy  
When the skies are grey  
You'll never know dear  
How much I love you  
So please don't take  
My sunshine…"_

**_"Away…"_**

* * *

A/N: Can't wait to get this rolling! Special thanks to GoldenPath who's beta reading this story as well! Please review for Roses return!


	2. Chapter 2 I love you

The sun shone beautifully over the Thessian sky, and a slight breeze ruffled the vegetation that surrounded a large field. We laid in the field amongst the knee high grass, so in love that nothing else, at that moment, really mattered. I rested on my back while Rose had her head in my lap, my soft hands stroking her elegant crests. Rose sighed contently and took one of my hands into her own. She kissed it softly and released the hand to let me resume.

"I love you, Lydia," Rose sighed.

"I love you, Rosy," I replied cheerfully. "Did you enjoy the swim in the spring?"

"Sure did," Rose smiled. "I enjoy everything I do with you." I felt my cheeks flush and grinned.

"Yeah?"

"Absolutely…"

"What's that look?" I smiled, seeing some trouble in Rose's eyes. Rose shrugged and picked at some grass.

"I guess I just never thought I would ever have a girlfriend."

"Haven't you always wanted me?"

"I have!" Rose replied. "But… until you kissed me for the first time… it's like a dream. I always figured you would find someone… attractive… beautiful…" I rolled onto Rose and smiled.

"You are beautiful, Rose," I said, cupping my love's face. "Anyone who says differently is a fool. I've loved you since… you first drew that picture of me, the first night we met. I can even remember thinking that you were the one. Even then, I knew it." I lifted Rose's arms above her head and began to kiss her cheeks and lips. "You are… my perfect… beautiful… lovely… red Rose." Rose grinned, and let her face be kissed all over. I felt my heart ache for the red asari, even though she was right there. My love for her was so strong it hurt at times.

I rested my head on Rose's chest and felt strong, red arms wrap me up tight. This was where I belonged. In the arms of the one I trusted most, the one person I knew would never judge me, would always accept me. She smelled delightful and, ironically, just like roses. I love the smell of roses. I once heard Inna say to Claire that if she were to die in her arms, that would be alright. I think that the same applied to me whenever I was in my Red Asari's arms. I quirked a brow when Rose rested a hand on my rear.

"Oh… shame you have to sit on something that pretty," Rose sighed, peeking at my perfect ass. What? Well, it is perfect.

"Thanks?" I laughed.

"Don't mention it," Rose smiled. We sat in silence for a while, just glad to be in each other's arms.

"It's been three day's since Claire broke the news," I said. "Are you alright?"

"Sure," Rose said. "Like I said to her, I understand. I will just really, really miss her."

"I could feel you crying the other night, my love," I replied. "Don't act like you don't hate this…" Rose sighed and nodded.

"Yeah," Rose replied. "Separation issues." I kissed her, because that's what a good girlfriend does.

"Speaking of which," I said. "How are you going to make it in the Commandos without your mom and dad? Or me?" Rose pursed her lips.

"I dunno," Rose said honestly. "Staying away from home every week is hard enough…"

"Don't worry about it," I said. "You're strong, Rose. You'll be fine."

"You think so?"

"There is no doubt in my mind," I smiled. "You'll be a benefit to your teammates. I guess… I'm going to be the one hurting the most."

"What?" Rose asked, concerned.

"It's many years until you leave but… now that we've finally admitted our love for each other," I paused. "I can't even imagine leaving your side, even more than before..." Rose sat up and actually cradled me in her arms. I could see such undying love in the Red Asari's eyes. I stroked Rose's cheek out of instinct.

"Like you said," Rose whispered. "It's many years from now. But, I am not getting any younger, am I?"

"Sure…" I murmured, getting lost in Rose's eyes. The familiar red had long gone, and over the past months, been changing into an orange. Her eyes looked like beautiful burning coals. I was mesmerized and a bit frightened. Those eyes… they stared right into my soul… but I saw love in them, nonetheless.

"How much do you love me, Lydia?" Rose asked quietly. "Am I… your only?"

I could only croak, "U-uh huh…"

Rose moved her head so close our noses touched. I could smell her sweet breath, again smelling like roses. Did I tell you how much I love roses? I… I d-don't think… well… those eyes…

"I want to ask you a very important question," Rose said. I remember saying something after that, but I don't think they were intelligible words. I think it was along the lines of,

"Nyuahak s-s…" Yeah. I know.

"Do… do you want to join with me?" Rose asked. So, I was beaten to it. Figures. Rose has always been the brave one.

"M-more than… any…" I answered in a small voice. Well, at least it was words. I think I was trying to say 'yes' but, you know, I wanted to say something sexy like 'more than anything,' but it came out all dumb and slow. Only Rose can embarrass me like that.

"You know what I am asking right?" Rose smirked. Goddess, she has a nice smirk too… "I am asking you to sleep with me… in a sexual way." You know, she's smart, but sometimes I think she's too smart. She waited intently for my answer, so I decided to clear my throat and say something intelligent.

"Rosy," I began. "You are my one and only. I've been meaning to ask you if you wanted to… take us to the next level, but I did not want to pressure you. I want to experience a meld with you so deep that the lines between us will blur like the colors of a rainbow. I want to feel your skin against mine, and your mind in my own. You are my only love… the only one I ever want to feel against me… inside me…" Hey, I was being honest! And that was a pretty nice speech, if I do say so myself. Rose began to kiss me with such passion! Her tongue battled mine, her lips pressed against mine and her hands were under my shirt. One thought ran through my head: this is happening! She was going to take me right now, in broad daylight! And I was okay with that!

But it was over far too fast. Rose lifted her lips away and smiled down at me. This was the one aggravating thing about Rose. She had these mood swings where she would be the bubbly, innocent girl that I know, and then turn into a possessive, sexy… woman that had just disappeared. Rose was usually such a paragon, but she had such a renegade side that just drove me crazy. It was hot.

"Tonight," Rose promised. "We'll say were going to camp out. We'll head here to this field and make love under the stars." I wanted so badly to just take her then, right then, but Rose's idea was a pretty good one. Make love under the stars… that sounded great.

"A-alright," I stammered. Rose helped me to my feet, and I stood rather shakily. Rose hugged me and I returned it.

"You… you have no idea what this means to me," Rose said happily. "That I… that someone would want this with me."

"W-who w-wouldn't want this with you?" I laughed. Rose placed her thumb and forefinger on my chin and looked me over.

"You are the most beautiful creature to exist in this galaxy," Rose thought aloud. "Why me?"

I cupped her face and replied, "Because I say so."

Rose laughed and was silenced by my hungry lips. Through my mind, thoughts raced to and fro. Would I be able to please Rose? To show her how much I love her? What would this kind of meld be like? Would this be the most romantic night of my life? I had no answers to those questions. I took strength in the fact that that very night I would finally be claiming Rose for my own, and there was no one in the world that could take that away from me. Rose was mine and I was hers.

Claire entered Inna's room downstairs and hopped on the bed. The girl was on her terminal, a gift from her loving parents. Inna immediately turned around and smiled. She joined her father on the bed and hugged her.

"What's up, Sunshine?" Claire asked.

"Surfing the extranet, I guess," Inna replied.

"Yeah?" Claire asked, rubbing Inna's crests. The girl rested her head on Claire's chest and closed her eyes.

"Mm hm," Inna yawned.

"Hm… you got up too early," Claire smiled.

"I wanted to help you make breakfast," Inna said. Claire was barely listening, too absorbed in the innocence of her youngest daughter.

"You are beautiful, you know that?" Claire teased. "Look at that cute little nose…"

"Daddy," Inna giggled. Claire kissed Inna's nose and hugged her tight.

"Love you, Sunshine," Claire smiled.

"I love you too, Daddy," Inna smiled. "Hey… I have a question."

"Shoot."

"When you come home, are you leaving for the new world immediately?" Inna asked.

"That's the plan, Sunshine," Claire said, resuming her rubbing of Inna's crests.

"What about us kids?" Inna asked. "Are we going to take classes online or…?"

"Well, Liara and I have been thinking about that," Claire hummed. "We're thinking of putting Rose and Lydia in charge of the house while we oversee construction, that way you kids can stay in school. When construction's done, the older kids will be graduated and in a university."

"Do I have to stay here?" Inna asked.

"Hm?"

"Can I go to the world with you and Mamma?" Inna asked. Claire thought for a little while.

"What about your education, Sunshine?"

"Rose said that she was homeschooled for a while," Inna answered, "Maybe you or Mamma could teach me whatever I miss. Or I could take an online course on my HI laptop." Claire bit her bottom lip and thought some more.

"You know what?" Claire thought aloud, "How could I get the job done without my Sunshine with me?"

"Oh, thank you, Daddy!" Inna giggled cheerfully. "I'll keep on with my school work I promise!"

"Hey," Claire grinned. "Just keep this to ourselves. Rose or Nezzy might get a bit jealous. When I get back, I'll tell everyone that… you're too young to stay by yourself and I want to keep an eye on you." Inna grinned and nodded.

"Okay," Inna replied in a whisper.

Claire nuzzled her nose against Inna's and whispered, "I think making you my daughter was one of the best decisions of my life."

Inna let a happy tear fall and looked down. Claire put a finger under the girl's chin and pecked her lips. Inna began to cry softly.

"Sunshine… what is it?"

"Y-you're leaving…" Inna wept. Claire sighed.

"I thought we settled this," Claire soothed, rubbing Inna's shoulders. Inna shook her head, seemingly beyond words. Claire hugged Inna as tight and with as much warmth as she could before kissing the girl's forehead.

"Inna," Claire said firmly but lovingly and softly at the same time. "I will be back. I would never leave my Sunshine. Hey… tell you what. While I am gone, you can call me every night." Inna sniffled and looked up.

"I-I can?" Inna whimpered.

"You can, Sunshine," Claire confirmed. "Our time zones will be wildly different, but I promise I will answer every time you call." Inna nodded and looked at her father. She then threw her arms around Claire's neck and whispered and sobbed,

"I love you."

"Oh, I love you too, Inna," Claire replied. She felt a tear roll down her face, one of her own. Maybe she did not have to leave? Maybe they could get someone else to do this? Or… maybe they didn't have to move? No… Claire had to do this, even if she did not want to leave her Sunshine.

"Daddy… you're crying," Inna whispered. "T-that's my job." Claire sniffled and laughed. She stroked Inna's face and smiled.

"R-remember what I said to you?" Claire asked. "When you asked me why I called you Sunshine?" Inna smiled and nodded.

"I-I do," Inna replied.

"'Your face lights up the room,'" Claire whispered, "You fill my life with warmth and happiness… I could not survive without you… and you are perfect in every which way…" Inna rested her head against Claire's chest and took in her calming scent. Claire never knew what it was with asari and smelling when they got sad. Rose did that a lot to Liara and even to Claire a few times. Benezia had done it. Hell, Liara had done it. Now Inna was doing it. Claire guessed she didn't have a problem with it… she just hoped she smelled nice.

"You know what going with us to the new world means, right?" Claire asked with a whisper. Inna shook her head. "It will just be you… me… and Mamma until the job is done. Construction could take a few years. The kids would visit often but you'll get us all to yourself most of the time." Inna smiled wide at that. It only got wider when Liara poked her head in.

"Am I missing something?" Liara grinned.

"Mamma!" Inna grinned. Liara joined them on the bed and was hugged tightly by the fifty year old. Liara kissed Inna affectionately and looked to Claire.

"I think we should show Inna just how much we love her," Liara said with a coy look. Claire caught on immediately and got an evil grin.

"I agree…" Before Inna could react, she was flattened against the bed, and her t-shirt was pulled up. The tickles started immediately, and Inna's laughter echoed about the house.

ALERT: The rest of this chapter is about Lydia and Rose's first time at sex. If reading about two women having sex makes you uncomfortable, just don't read it. It has no real relevance to this story as far as the plot goes, and the majority of this story will not have a lot of (descriptive) sex in it. You won't be missing much. Just treat that Inna part as the end of this chapter. You have been warned…

I watched as Rose told Claire and Liara that we would be camping out tonight. It wasn't a lie, Rose never lied, it just did not contain the whole truth. Therefore, Liara and Claire had nothing to be suspicious of. That didn't stop me from winking at Claire when she looked at me. The human seemed to understand. I had been thinking all day about would happen that night, trying to gain a bit of confidence. Luckily, Rose was always there to keep me sane.

"You girls are going camping?" Liara asked.

"Yes, Mamma," Rose smiled. "We're going to sleep under the stars."

"You two promise to keep warm, right?" Liara asked. I held up the sleeping bag that Rose and I planned to share. It was meant for two people, but was tight enough so that we would be forced to share body heat. Rose held up her backpack full of stuff: a lantern, some matches, a bit of food and water, etc.

"Alright, when will you two be back?" Claire asked.

"Tomorrow morning at the latest," Rose promised. "We'll get up early and head to the springs, eat breakfast, and head home."

"Alright…" Liara said.

"They'll be fine," Claire grinned. "Go have some fun, girls!" Rose kissed both parents and took my hand. We ran from the house and took off down the road until we came to the long, winding trail that would eventually reach our precious field. When we reached the path, we slowed to a walk and Rose had her arms around me in no time. I rested my head on her shoulder and we walked the trail with a nervous, excited air between us.

Later that night…

The fire crackled and popped, giving off warmth and casting dim light on the two of us lying next to it. The stars overhead shined brightly and were really beautiful. But not as beautiful as the creature lying next to me. Our bellies were full after a surprisingly good meal of dried meats, cheese, bread, and water. We hadn't brought much, after all. I laid with Rose spooned in my embrace. Rose and I were snug in the sleeping bag, our hands linked and we were both in our underwear. I moved on top of Rose and put my arms around her neck. Oh, how many times I had fantasized about this moment! Soon, our lips would be trailing along each other's bodies and our minds would be one! Finally… she was all mine.

"A-are you… ready?" I asked. Rose nodded nervously. "W-we don't have to do this if you're nervous."

"Me nervous?" Rose laughed slightly. I blushed.

"I'm pretty nervous…"

"You trust me right?" Rose asked, her eyes shining like the fire next to us.

"With my life," I answered. Am I always this corny?

"Then trust me when I say we are going to enjoy this," Rose smiled. "I love you and would be lying if I said I wasn't just as nervous."

"I love you, too," I answered. Our lips met and our tongues initiated their combat. Rose's arms tightened around my lower back as she rolled on top of me. Ooh… was this the renegade Rose? I peeked my eyes open to see a sexy smirk on that gorgeous face. I felt the sleeping bag get zipped open so that Rose could straddle me. Her lips left my own and we both opened our eyes. Rose towered over me like the Goddess Athame herself, her muscular body oozing perfection. I let my hands travel up her stomach and rest on her hips. Rose put her hands behind her back and unclasped her bra. Yes… I was ready for this.

The bra fell away and I goggled at those glorious, perfect breasts. Rose got on all fours above me, and her breasts hung mere inches from my face… my mouth. I looked at her, as if asking for permission. Rose gave a small nod and I rested my hands on her ass. She got even lower for me, and I could feel her pert nipple touching my lips. I took her right breast in my mouth and flicked my tongue over it. The soft moan that escaped my lover's throat was all the encouragement I needed. I suckled on her like a newborn, and Rose was whimpering and moaning… I lifted my left leg, which was in between Rose's, and rubbed against Rose's groin. I felt wetness!

Wetness… I could feel myself growing wetter by the second. I transferred my mouth over to Rose's neglected left breast and went to work. I massaged her rear and Rose's moans kept up. Rose leaned back just enough to take her panties off. Yes… Rose was naked before me and I felt awkward in my clothes. I let Rose from my mouth and began taking my underwear off. Rose waited, though impatiently, as her hands travelled up and down my body. When I was as bare as the day I was born into this world, Rose decided to work on me.

She laid soft, deliberate kisses down my stomach, nearing my wetting azure. With every inch explored, the butterflies in me flapped their wings harder and harder. Rose kissed my inner thighs and right around my azure. She flicked her tongue against my skin and clutched my hips. I was barely aware of my moans and soft cries. Then Rose licked me, right in the azure. I made a sharp cry and Rose began to kiss my swollen area. I found myself stretching my legs wider, trying to give my Rose all the space she needed. She began licking more and more, striking my clit with her tongue.

Rose actually buried her mouth in there. My eyes were wide and my hands were massaging my breasts. Then I felt a slender finger enter me and leave me. It was a sensation like no other. Then there were two fingers. Oh, Goddess, I was dripping all over her now. Rose suckled at the juices I emitted and slid her fingers back and forth, back and forth. It was great at first, but it was rapidly becoming unbearable. It felt so good that it had begun to hurt.

I panted, "S-s-stop p-p-p-please…"

Rose saw how close I was and ended her assault. As she pulled her fingers from me, I saw that the tips of them were coated with a dark liquid, which even in the darkness and my current carnal state, I knew to be my own blood. I couldn't see, but I didn't think I was bleeding too badly.

Now it was my turn to please my partner. As close as I was, and how badly I needed the meld for release to experience my first true orgasm, I wanted Rose to enjoy this, too. I hoisted my lover up so that her dripping azure was right above my face. Rose made a surprised gasp, but she knew how strong I was. I blew softly on her azure, relishing the soft moan that came out of my Rose. I kissed the edges, opened my mouth so that she dripped into me. She tasted sweet, almost like honey. I began to lick her azure and finger her opening. Rose's moans and cries were music to me. I drank her and fingered her as long as I could, but soon Rose was begging me to stop and the sweet juices now had a salty taste: Rose's blood.

Even then, my protective side began to show and I looked Rose over, actually scared that I had done something wrong. But we were having such a great time, right!? But I was bleeding too, and it was only natural. Whatever thoughts I had were abruptly ended when Rose got eye level with me and a purple haze surrounded us. Our eyes were pitch black, and I knew what was only seconds from happening. Everything we had done tonight meant nothing compared to this.

I rolled on top, lifted her leg up my side and pressed my lips to her own. My only love looked up to me and I saw the innocence in those eyes. She was asking permission, permission that was not needed. Rose was always welcome in my mind, and I so desperately needed her. My pleasures were making me crazy, and the longer Rose held out, the more I was sucking at her neck, nipping with my teeth. My fingers flicked across her neck folds, the sensitive spot that all asari loved. Rose liked that, and as I assaulted her neck, she assaulted mine. We bit and sucked each other, and, by the Goddess, I was making love! For the first time and with the only person I could ever imagine doing this with.

Finally, I realized that I was going to have to take the lead here. So I whispered the words. The words that were some of the only intelligent words to be spoken all night.

I panted against Rose's throat, "Embrace Eternity!"

What I felt next would be the most shocking experience of my life. I cannot truly describe it, but I will do my best. I didn't know left from right, up from down, myself from herself… we did not have form, we were one… rapturous whole. I felt her all around me, inside me, wrapping me up like a blanket. This was not like the many melds we had shared before. This was something entirely different. We came together, and I experienced my first orgasm. Needless to say… it felt amazing. I could feel Rose's lips trail my skin like the ants on the ground, and I saw flashes of who Rose was.

Rose was a person who loved life and loved her family. She wanted to protect people and was fueled by the love that her family and I gave her. I saw that she nearly worshipped me. I saw her love for me and how it grew everyday. I saw the deep resentment for her skin, and how only I and her mother could ever make her feel better about it. Rose was constantly thinking of the future, looking ahead instead of the past. I saw some of her dreams, the life she wanted with me. Dreams of large houses, a small bonding between us in seclusion with only our closest relatives around, and, by the Goddess, little girls that could be seen riding on our shoulder's or being tucked in by us. It was so beautiful…

I saw the love, respect, and adoration for her mother. Oh, Liara was held very highly by Rose, perhaps even more than myself, but that does not bother me. The love for me and Liara was different. I knew that I was the only person Rose would and could ever love this way. I would never have to jealous of anyone. I was hers, and I loved that.

I sensed the love for her father and sisters. Respect, love, the cherished memories and acceptance from them. Rose had a sense of security around them, that no matter what, they would not judge her for her skin or the shockingly powerful biotics that she had.

I looked at another flash fondly: the protection that Rose has for me. All those years ago, when I broke my arm as we rock climbed around the springs, Rose had carried me all the way home. I had told her that I could walk, that it didn't even hurt that bad, but Rose wanted to take care of me, and she did. I saw memories of the times I had gotten sick as a child, and how Rose stayed over at my house until I was better. She fussed over me, watched over me, made sure that even while I was sick, we could still have fun. I loved her.

We stayed in the meld for hours at least. I learned things about Rose and knew that she was learning things about me. Seeing memories, thoughts, feelings… I wasn't sure who said it, but the last thing I remember were three words being spoken,

"I love you."

I woke that morning with a slight sting in my lower reaches and my head against Rose's chest. I instantly remembered last night and smiled. The sleeping bag was tight around us, I guess Rose had made sure of that. I could see the sun just rising over the horizon, reds and oranges. Screw the sunset. I could wake up to colors like that any time and day I want, and the sun paled in comparison to my lover. My lover. My bondmate. It wasn't official, but I knew it to be true. Rose was mine and I was hers. There was nothing in between us now, nothing.

I turned my head just enough so I could look at her. Her tranquil face was so serene… her mouth was slightly open and the rise and fall of her chest was slow and calm. I could hear her heartbeat from this position. I watched her for a time, drinking in her beauty. For some odd reason, I thought to what Claire had said to me: _'Play it safe, use a safe word…'_ Yes, that advice had flown right out the window. I had thought the safe word thing was a bit kinky, but then that was Shepard. I smiled to myself as I remembered the stories she told us about making her rounds on the Normandy, dishing out advice and making out with Liara in her office.

I looked back to my Rose and smiled. She stirred and whimpered something in her throat. I listened closely and heard a faint,

"Lydia…" I smiled wider at that. Rose's eyes slowly batted open and she focused on me. Those fiery eyes were so striking, and the way they looked at me filled me with such warmth. The smile on her face came so fast that I laughed a tiny bit. Rose was kissing me before I knew it, soft gentle ones that were meant for love. I met them and caressed her back. I loved the feel of her skin on mine, the burden of clothing gone.

"Hey there, Rosy," I whispered my usual greeting for her.

"Hey, Lydia," Rose replied, also in a whisper. "Um… are you alright? Down there…" Of course, Rose's first thoughts were if I was alright.

"I am fine, I do not think I bled much at all, and it barely stings," I assured. "Do not worry. How about you?"

"Same," Rose replied. "It really doesn't hurt." I nodded and kissed her again.

"Did… did I do it right?" I asked timidly. "Did I… make you feel good?"

"Lydia, that was amazing," Rose grinned. "I… the meld was…"

"I know!" I replied earnestly. "I saw… you. I saw who you are." Rose propped her head up on one elbow and looked at me.

"Tell me," Rose smiled. Her other hand traveled my side as I told her about what I saw. She grinned at the memories of taking care of me, blushed at the dreams for the future. When I finished, I took her position and let my hand travel her as she told me about what she saw.

"You are a woman of immense beauty and intelligence," Rose said, smiling as my hand went from her rear to her shoulder and back again. "I felt how much you love me, how you hold me above everyone else. I saw your daydreams of the children we could have one day… even little Elena who frequents them." Elena was the child I dreamed about. I could see her now. Purple skin like mine, with the fiery eyes of Rose… a bubbly spirit like her and with a love of all things. Perhaps I put too much thought into her.

"I saw the love for your mother and father," Rose continued. "The absolute guilt about the people you bullied… about Inna. How you try every day to make it right. I saw how protective you are, how you wanted to be the best police officer in asari space. How you love children and the massive bonding ceremony you want to have with me… How much you love me." We kissed some more, talked some more, watched the sun rise… it was the best morning of my life. We did not talk about anything truly important. Just how big our bonding ceremony would be one day, how many kids we would have, things that were kind of scary when you thought about them too hard, but were nice nonetheless. Rose kept rubbing my stomach with her hand, and I enjoyed it.

I could not fathom what this joining truly meant. A piece of Rose now lived in me, and she had piece of myself in her. We talked like a bonded couple, our motions were fluid like the water in a stream. When I moved, so did she, and vice versa. I looked at the girl that I had been brought up with, the girl who always invaded my dreams and made my life amazing. The girl who always had my back and would never let me down even if it killed her. I remember how shy I was as a youngster, barely able to say 'hi.' Ever since Rose became a part of my life, I grew confidence, not only in myself but in life in general. I could speak in front of whole crowds like I was speaking to a single person. I couldn't even imagine what my life would have been like had she not entered it.

"I have given you everything that I can," I grinned. "My body, my love, my mind, my soul… I love you more than anything, Rose. I am going to bond you one day, just wait." Rose leaned in close and threw a leg over me.

"Not if I beat you to it," Rose replied. I let her get on top, let her kiss my lips, my jaw, my neck. She touched a few of the love bites from the nights activities carefully and smiled at them. I giggled when she tickled my stomach with her lips and nibbled playfully at my fingers. She rested her head on my chest, and I caressed those elegant crests.

"If we don't get moving now, I don't think we ever will," Rose teased. I smiled at her and nodded, regretfully. We got dressed, very reluctantly, ate a short breakfast and packed up our things. We decided to stop at the springs, and Rose brought out a bar of soap from her bag. We washed each other clean, and the warm water felt amazing. We swam a bit, washed, and kissed on the bank. We left about an hour later, heading for home. We left the way we came, in each other's arms, but were undeniably closer.

A/N: Hope you guys liked the first person POV. I decided to try it out and found myself enjoying it very much. Also, I got a review on the last story about how asari are immune to red sand. Just thought I would point out that I won't be sticking to asari canon. I'll be writing them like blue women, only because most canon about the races is speculation and just because I want to write it that way. Just telling the people who are just now reading my stuff. Please review!


	3. Chapter 3 Goodbye

It had been two days since Rose and Lydia had gone camping, and Liara noticed some changes in her eldest daughter. Rose seemed to hold herself with more confidence now, and her skin seemed to glow. Lydia too seemed more confident and cheerful. Smiles never left their faces, and they never left each other's sight. Not that any of these were bad things, but Liara and Rose shared a bond that made it so that no change went unnoticed. Something was different, and Liara was afraid that she knew what it was.

"Rose?" Liara asked. "Can I speak to you alone, please?" Liara and the rest of her family were sitting in the living room, aside from a forlorn Benezia who had become a recluse in her room. They were all spending as much time with Claire as possible before she left. Rose was seated on the couch with Lydia in her lap and a blissful grin on her face. Rose blinked at the sudden request but nodded cheerfully. Lydia slid off of Rose and kissed her cheek. Rose followed her mother to the office while Claire and Lydia shared a look.

"What is the matter, Mamma?" Rose smiled when the door had been shut behind them.

"Should there be a matter for me to want to spend some time with my beloved Rose?" Liara asked in reply. Rose was hugging her in an instant.

"Sorry," Rose replied. "I realize that we have not had the alone time that we have both been looking forward to. I love you, Mamma. Why don't we plan something?"

"I would love that," Liara smiled. "I… It is selfish."

"No it is not," Rose replied. "I want time alone with you just as much as you do."

"I love you too," Liara replied. "However, that is not why I asked you here."

"Oh?"

"I… noticed a change in you, my beloved," Liara began. "I just want to know if you are alright."

"Is it a good change?"

"I believe so," Liara shrugged. "You seem happier, if that is at all possible." Liara leaned against her console and Rose leaned against the wall across from her.

"I… I have a confession, Mother," Rose gulped. Liara paled but remained calm. So, something was the matter.

"Go on," Liara said.

"As you know," Rose began, "Lydia and I have been… dating for almost a year. I have known her since I was three. She has been my best friend for as long as I can remember. Recently… I asked to take us to… the next level." This felt like a punch to the stomach to Liara.

"W-what are you saying, Rose?" Liara asked, already knowing the answer.

"When Lydia and I went camping," Rose took a deep breath before continuing, "We made love for the first time underneath the stars." Liara placed her shaking hands at her side and tried to remain calm. There was a growing heat behind her eyes. Rose waited anxiously for a reaction.

"I… I do not know what to say…" Liara settled for.

"Mother, I want you to know that-"

"Just!" Liara raised a hand. "Just… stop." Rose clammed up and played with her hands, staring at her feet. "Why? Why did you two have to make this big a step?"

"We felt we were ready," Rose replied softly. "I think Lydia has been wanting to ask me for a few weeks now, but I beat her to it."

"You asked first?"

"I did," Rose nodded. "Lydia said that the reason she did not was because she did not want to pressure me, and she does not want to disrespect you."

"I… I see… Thank you for telling me."

"I never meant to hurt you…"

"You did not," Liara hushed. "It's just… I… By the Goddess, come here!" Liara commanded. Rose instantly went to her mother and they hugged tightly.

"I am so sorry," Rose whispered.

"Don't be sorry," Liara sighed through pinched eyes. "You're at that age where you experiment… You were right about Lydia, she's the one… I… I just…" Rose waited for a moment before asking,

"What?"

"You are growing up!" Liara cried. She held her eldest so hard, it hurt. Rose buried her face in her mother's neck and clung to her like a little girl.

"I am still your Little Wing, Mamma," Rose said. "I will never truly grow up."

"It went by too fast," Liara wept. "You're so close to meeting my height…"

"Mamma, just because I am getting taller and older," Rose soothed, "doesn't mean that I am growing up." Liara looked at Rose, and for once, Rose was wiping away the tears. "I am still Little Wing. I am still going to want to spend hours alone with you, I am still going to want to eat peanut butter with you…" Liara smiled at that, if a small one. "I am still going to want to sleep in your bed once in a while, like when I was a little, little girl on nights with loud thunder and scary lightning."

"Y-you make a… compelling argument," Liara replied.

"Mother, I may have experienced a mating meld with Lydia," Rose said. "But… I feel that my bond with you is still much, much stronger. Nothing can break what we have, especially not getting older…" Liara sniffled and gave a tiny nod.

"I love you, Mother," Rose smiled.

"I love you, too, Little Wing," Liara smiled. "There is nothing quite like it is there?"

"Like what?"

"A mating meld," Liara chuckled. "I remember when I first initiated one with your father. My first time as well."

"I agree," Rose said. "I learned things about Lydia, even after all this time! For instance-"

"Ah ah ah," Liara shook her head. "That is personal. No one but you two should know those kinds of things." Rose nodded sheepishly.

"Ha, sorry."

"I wish you had waited," Liara said. "However, that is just my motherly side talking. As your friend, and trusted advisor, I say that I am happy for you but warn you to be careful. Don't make the meld to deep. You and Lydia may have good self-control, but… you never know. I am too young to be a grandmother." Rose gulped and nodded again.

"Y-yes," Rose said. "We have only melded like that once."

"I do not need to know that," Liara waved her hand. "Just be safe. I… just please."

"I swear it."

"Rose. You are not in trouble, I am not mad. We're not like other species. Asari are much more comfortable expressing their sexuality, and this is the time on your life when you begin to find interesting partners. I won't give you too long a speech, but just because we are comfortable with it, does not mean we are not just as careful. Do you have any idea what a child would do to you both? Self-control is not something one learns, but is born with. You have that, so does Lydia. Use it."

"Yes, Mother. We will be very, very, very careful."

"Good," Liara said. "Now, I want you to clear this Monday off of your calendar."

"Why?"

"Because you and I are going to spend some time alone," Liara grinned. "And maybe take a camping trip of our own. You know, a real camping trip."

"That sounds wonderful!" Rose said with delight. She hesitated. "I… I did not lie."

"No, but you did not tell the whole truth," Liara scolded lightly. "Forget about it. Just don't do it again."

"I swear!" Rose giggled. She hugged her mother with even more force. "I cannot wait until Monday. Just you and me. I love you."

"I love you too," Liara replied. "Let's go spend time with your father." The two asari go to leave the office, but found Lydia standing at the door, her fist raised like she was going to knock.

"Oh!" Lydia jumped. "I… I just… I came to see if everything was… alright." Rose pecked Lydia on the lips and went to the living room.

"Lydia-" Liara began. She was interrupted by Lydia taking her hands.

"Please, I would never try and hurt you or Claire," Lydia said earnestly. "I would never disrespect you! You are like second parents to me! Please-"

"Lydia!" Liara hushed. "Compose yourself. I am not mad at you." Lydia closed her mouth.

"Y-you are not furious with me?"

"No," Liara replied. "I know you two love each other, and it warms my heart to see you two so in love. I just want you to be careful." Lydia looked beyond relieved.

"Y-yeah?" Lydia smiled bashfully.

"Mm hm," Liara chuckled. She put an arm around Lydia and they sat down in the office chairs.

"Do you remember…?" Liara scoffed. "No, you were so young…"

"Try me," Lydia grinned.

"Do you remember when you got horribly sick all those years ago?" Liara asked. "It was about three years after you and Rose met each other, and she came and visited you? How Rose was so worried and fussed over you?"

"Goddess, I do!" Lydia giggled. "She was so cute… is so cute."

* * *

Sixty eight years ago…

* * *

Lydia let her mother rest the back of her hand on her forehead, and sniffled. She was running a fever, and had been bedridden for days. She had thrown up several times, and her parents were getting worried. Nija took her daughter's temperature and placed a cool rag on her forehead. Lydia coughed and shivered even though she was under a mountain of blankets. Outside her window, snow drifted lazily down. Ezic was gone at a reunion with some of his old friends from the military but called every night to make sure his daughter was alright. He would be coming home early tomorrow evening.

"Oh, poor baby," Nija soothed. She placed a hand under Lydia's shirt and rubbed her belly. The six year old placed a tiny hand over her mother's and coughed. "Ok… it's time to take your medicine." Lydia began to whine but Nija kissed her forehead to silence her. Lydia waited in silence as her mother left and wiped a bit of sweat from her brow. Her flushed cheeks were hot to the touch and her soft, purple eyes were bloodshot. She settled back against the pillows and tried not to cry. Everything about her was sore or ached, and Lydia was terribly lonely. She wished Rose was there.

Nija came back a few moments later with a lovely smile and some medicine in a tiny cup. She also held a cup of water. Lydia took her medicine and slowly drank the water. It hurt her throat, but the coolness felt awfully nice.

"You have a visitor," Nija whispered with a smile. Lydia made a tiny gasp and gave an even smaller smile. Rose poked her head in the door and broke out into a beautiful grin. The tiny red asari raced to the bed and pulled herself up.

"Careful now," Claire grinned from the doorway. "She's a bit weak, Rose." Rose slowed down and sat at the edge of the bed, sitting on her knees. She wore the N7 hoodie that her father had given her, making her look even smaller than she really was. Nija patted Lydia's shoulder softly and led Claire from the room, leaving the two little girls to themselves.

"Hey, Lydia!" Rose said happily. She scooted closer to her friend and touched her forehead. "I been missin' you!"

"S-s-sorry," Lydia replied weakly. "I'b sthick."

"How bad?"

"B-b-bad."

"Oh… Well, I'll stay with you," Rose grinned. "We can still have some fun!"

"B-b-but you could get sthick!" Lydia protested.

"I can't get sick, 'member?" Rose replied cheerfully. Lydia smiled faintly.

"O-okay… w-what do you w-want tuh do?" Lydia asked.

"We can play 'I spy.'" Rose suggested.

"Mm, I dunno," Lydia replied.

"What do you want to play?" Rose asked.

"I-I dunno," Lydia shrugged. "I'm… I'm too tired." Rose's smile never wavered.

"That's ok," Rose said. Rose unzipped her hoodie and placed it over Lydia. She ran her small hands over it and patted it smooth, pulling it up to Lydia's chin. She kissed Lydia's cheek as she finished tucking her friend in. Lydia's blush was hidden under her already flushed cheeks. She looked at Rose gratefully. Rose patted Lydia's hand and thought for a moment.

"I got it!" Rose giggled. She hopped off the bed and raced to Lydia's closet. She rummaged around, and Lydia tried to see what her best friend was doing. Rose came out a moment later with a toy gun in one hand and a detective's badge in her other.

"Hands up!" Rose cried. "My name is Blasto! EKINDLE THIS!" She fired the toy gun, which emitted laser sounds. Lydia let out a sputtering laugh. Rose leapt onto the bed and began to spout quotes from their favorite movies. Blasto: Eternity is Forever, Alien, Aliens, Shepard: Saren chronicles, Shepard: Reborn, Shepard: Galaxy's Night, and Vakarian: Citadel Cop. Despite Lydia's sore throat, she was laughing uncontrollably. Rose was not a good actor.

"What is going on in here?" Nija asked, returning to check on the girls. She smiled when she saw Rose all dressed up with costumes and acting out movies. Lydia pointed at Rose and continued to laugh and laugh.

"I'm tired of your dis-beious atertions!" Rose said angrily and punched a toy bear in the face. Claire poked her head in and quirked an eye brow.

"When did I say that?" Claire asked.

"It happened in the vid!" Rose protested.

"Ms. Al Jalani and I are on good terms actually," Claire replied.

"Oh, let them have their fun," Nija scolded, beyond happy to see her daughter laughing and smiling. Claire shrugged and ducked out, but not before giving her daughter a quick wink. Rose grinned bashfully back at the adults and continued her little performance. Lydia sniffed and smiled, feeling better than she had in a week.

* * *

"Hey, Nija," Claire grinned. It had been several hours since Claire had dropped Rose off and night had fallen. Liara herself was feeling under the weather, but nothing like what Lydia was experiencing. "I'm here to get her." Nija beckoned Claire inside and led her through the house and upstairs.

"They have been very quiet for about an hour," Nija said. "They wore each other out, today."

"Yeah," Claire chuckled. "I hope that Lydia feels better soon."

"Well, with Rose with her, she'll recover in no time at all, huh?" Nija laughed softly. They reached Lydia's room and slowly opened the door. Both parents poked their heads in and caught a most wonderful sight. Rose was fast asleep under the covers, with Lydia cuddled up against her. Lydia's head was resting on Rose's chest and an arm was thrown possessively around her, like a child and their stuffed toy. Rose had her own arm around Lydia and her cheek rested on Lydia's head.

"Oh, look at that," Nija said softly. Claire grinned and approached the bedside. As much as she did not want to disturb the two, Liara would want Rose home. It was very late. Nija slowly moved Lydia off of Rose, and Claire took Rose into her arms. Lydia whimpered in response. Rose was still fast asleep and Claire kissed her baby girl on the forehead. Lydia whined in her sleep and turned onto her side. She groped about the bed in her sleep, searching for her companion. Nija looked at Claire and tentatively suggested,

"Perhaps Rose would like to sleep over?"

"Well, Liara…"

"Rose seems to be doing a better job than the medicine is," Nija pointed out. "I… I do not think that Lydia will make it through the night without throwing up again, but Rose seems to help her sleep. Besides, Rose cannot get her sickness…" Claire thought about it for a moment and consented. This was not the first time that Rose had slept over here, Liara would not have an issue.

"Sure," Claire agreed. "That should be alright." Claire slowly lowered Rose back onto the bed. Lydia whimpered and made her small cries, still half asleep. Her little hands found Rose, and she pulled herself close. Her whimpers ended the minute her head began to rest on Rose's chest. She calmed and fell back asleep. Her hand lay across Rose's stomach and Rose rested her head back on Lydia's. Lydia's pained look turned serene and her somewhat ragged breathing evened out. Rose smiled slightly in her sleep, but that was normal.

"Thank you," Nija sighed gratefully. Claire put an arm around the ex-commando's shoulders.

"If it helps, anytime," Claire grinned. "Besides… they're cute together."

"Aren't they?"

"Yeah, they sure are."

* * *

Present day… Day of Claire's departure.

* * *

Claire took a deep breath, her bag slung over her shoulder. Claire stood in the hallway, facing Benezia's bedroom. The girl had not spoken to Claire since she had broken the news and made efforts to avoid her father altogether. It hurt Claire like nothing else, but then Claire was hurting Benezia, too. They had always been very close, Claire had been Benezia's best friend growing up. Now, that was Katya's job. Claire missed Benezia's closeness but loved that her daughter had begun to make friends outside the family. Now, Claire spent her time with her youngest, Inna. Claire couldn't help but smile just at the thought of Inna. Over the past five months since Inna's adoption, they had become very close.

Claire wanted to make things right between her and Benezia. Claire entered the room and knocked on the door. Benezia sat on the bed, her nose buried in a book and her knees tucked to her chest. Benezia glanced up, but kept her eyes fastened on her book.

"Hey, Nezzy," Claire said anxiously. Benezia gulped before answering,

"Father." Claire clenched her jaw and fiddled with her hands.

"I leave in fifteen minutes," Claire added.

"I see."

"You haven't spent any time with me this week," Claire pointed out softly. "I've missed you a lot already."

"Yes, I have had some heavy homework, I apologize," Benezia replied curtly.

"That's okay, I understand," Claire said, forcing a small smile. "Y-you want to go do something together? I think we could take a walk or something…"

"Oh, that's alright, I have to read ten chapters from this old book by Sunday if I want to get my work done," Benezia said. "Maybe some other time." Claire slowly lowered her head and dropped her hands.

"S-sure," Claire said. "I… we… I love you, sweetheart, goodbye." Benezia did not answer or look at her father. Claire shuffled out of the room, wiping tears from her eyes. This was her doing, why shouldn't Benezia hate her? Claire walked downstairs and came face to face with the rest of her family. Nija and Ezic were also there.

"Hey, guys," Claire said, forcing a smile.

"We just came to see you off, Shepard," Ezic said. "Going to solve the whole colony business eh?"

"That's the plan," Claire replied. "I hate to leave my family, but it has to be me. Besides, it will be an interesting feeling to put on a hardsuit again."

"Damn straight," Ezic said, shaking Claire's hand. Lydia had told her parents about her night with Rose. Needless to say, they were shocked. They accepted that it had happened, and Lydia was at that age, but Ezic was eyeing Rose with a certain distrust. It was only natural, even if Ezic thought of Rose like a niece. Perhaps that was part of the reason it was uncomfortable? Once the initial shock wore off, however, it was not that surprising. Everyone had seen it coming, and their parents had been egging the girls on for years. Trying to get Rose and Lydia into a relationship that was more than just best friends. Still, it made the adults feel old, and that their children were soon following.

Shepard could not wait to begin the colony on Velighied. As a grunt in the marines, Claire never would have thought that, one day, she would be married to the Shadow Broker and living in mountain top estates. Nor did she ever think that her family would consist of aliens almost entirely. Still, Shepard could not think of her life in any other way. This little business with the colonies was just a simple bump in the road.

"Thanks," Claire smiled. "I'll be back before you know it."

"I am sure," Nija replied. "Still… we'll miss you."

"Same," Claire said. "I'll… I'll miss you too."

* * *

Claire got out of the car and grabbed her bag. Liara and the kids were there, and Lydia sat in Rose's lap the whole ride. Benezia had been forced to come along, and she continued to ignore her father. Claire hugged all of her family (save Nezzy, who stayed back) and said her goodbye's for the umpteenth time. Inna and Rose shed a few tears, but luckily Lydia was there. Inna stiffened when Lydia squeezed her shoulder, but for once, did not shake her off.

"I'll be back soon, kiddos," Claire promised. "Don't worry! When I get back, we'll throw a party or something. Then, we'll go and live like queens." Liara hugged her human very tightly and whispered,

"You had better come back in one piece." Claire kissed her softly.

"My promise still stands," Claire answered. "I promise I will always come back. Then… maybe we can make a few more of those little blue children." Liara blushed and smiled wide.

"I love you, so much."

"I love you too, babe," Claire grinned. "I'll call you the minute I get to the recruiting station."

"It's a plan." Claire released her wife and took a deep breath. She stood for a moment, making a mental picture of her family. Then, with one fleeting look at Benezia, she turned on her heel and began to walk through the spaceport. She shouldered her bag and forced herself not to look back. If she did, she would never be able to leave.

"WAIT!" Someone yelled. Claire whirled around, and Benezia raced into her arms, sobbing like a little girl. Claire held her, shocked and beyond happy.

"P-Please, don't go!" Benezia cried.

"I- I have to, Nezzy," Claire answered, kissing her and rubbing her back.

"I-I am so, so sorry," Benezia wept. "I love you so much!"

"I love you too, Benezia," Claire answered in a hushed voice. "I'll be back soon. Very soon. Don't worry…"

"T-take me with you!" Benezia sobbed. Claire kissed Benezia and whispered,

"I need you here. I need you with your sisters and mother." Benezia shook her head and let her tears fall freely. Claire wiped the tears away and held her firm.

"I. Will. Be. Back. Alright?" Benezia calmed and sniffled. She shakily nodded her head, and embraced her father one last time.

"I- I love you," Benezia said one last time.

"I love you too, baby," Claire promised. Benezia slowly, slowly backed up and rejoined her family. Claire gave her a reassuring smile and forced herself to turn away. Claire sucked in a shaky breath and continued on her way. Her family never took their eyes off her, and stood there long after she was out of sight.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for taking so long on this one. Life's been busy lately, plus this chapter was strangely hard to write. At any rate, I hope you enjoy. Now to get on with Shepard's adventure! Please review!


	4. Chapter 4 Riley Teg

Claire shuffled into the recruitment center. After stopping at Omega, then meeting up with a recruiter there, Claire had taken a shuttle to a nearby moon. Shepard looked around at the sea of white and orange armor, all of them holding weapons, and Claire suddenly felt at home. All the memories started coming back to her. Some of the good ones, some of the bad ones, but Shepard welcomed them all. It was like meeting an old friend again after many years.

"All new recruits head this way for registration and outfitting!" Someone called. The recruitment station was basically a large, glass, dome on the surface of the moon. Looking up, one could see outer space and a few of the Broker's ships. A few large comm towers could be seen in the distance along with a few outlaying buildings. Staircases led from the pretty much barren floor and headed down below. Claire got in line with about six other new recruits and noticed a few key differences between them.

Claire was easily the smallest one there and certainly the best looking. Two batarians stood in line, both hulking men with scars littering their faces. A turian man stood behind them, and had the face paint of a Turian Havoc. There was a large, no, massive krogan that eyed everyone with blatant disgust. Finally, there were two humans. One female and one male. The female had striking blue eyes, copper colored hair, pale skin, and nice curves. She wore a light jacket, baggy cargo pants, and combat boots. She looked around twenty six or so and had a tired look. Perhaps she had been traveling for a while? The human male didn't look interesting, so Claire ignored him.

All of them began to walk through the armored mercenaries and proceeded down the steps into a dark hallway. Claire slowed and began to walk next to the human female. Despite the woman's fatigue, she held herself like Claire did. Like an Alliance soldier.

"Hey," Claire greeted coolly. "My name's Dayna Smith." Claire and Liara had agreed that Claire shouldn't present herself as Shepard for obvious reasons. There could be mercs here that hated her or loved her, but both were just as bad. If she attracted any hype it would foil there plans. Whoever was attacking the colonies would most likely lay low to avoid Shepard, and that wouldn't do. Shepard also had blue contacts in and had cut her hair short and choppy like her days in the Alliance. She was a bit sad when Liara had cut it. Ever since the war ended, Shepard let her hair grow out long and flowing, something that Liara was ecstatic about. She loved to run her fingers through it, to wash it and comb it. Just thinking of Liara made Shepard ache.

"Riley Teg," The woman replied softly. She looked dead on her feet. She may have been tired, but she gave Claire a nice smile.

"You don't look so good, Ms. Teg," Claire grinned.

"Thanks," Riley laughed gently. "I'm just tired is all… and a bit hung-over."

"Ah," Claire said. "Err... rough night?"

"You could say that," came a sleepy reply. "You drink much?"

"Oh, uh, not much anymore," Claire admitted. "Actually… I cannot remember the last time I had alcohol."

"I should have known," Riley teased gently. "You look a bit prude, Dayna. No offense." Claire rolled her eyes.

"How so?"

"You talk a bit… loftily?" Riley laughed. "You stand up really straight and kind of look down on me when you speak."

"Huh." This was new.

"No offense," Riley repeated.

"None taken," Claire dismissed. She waved her hand in dismissal, but realized that that made her look more prudish. She lowered her arm. Living with asari had rubbed off on her. She was one of them now, not human.

"Hey," Riley said, a tad bit more serious. "We should stick together. You look ex Alliance, like me. We Alliance ladies should stick together." Claire grinned once more and shook Riley's hand. Riley seemed to perk up a bit, and the smile that she made was a bright one. She really was a pretty one. However, still not really Shepard's type. Once you go Blue, nothing else will ever do.

* * *

"Hey, Liara," Shepard said in a hushed tone. She had excused herself from the group to use the restroom, and was ordered to head to the recruitment office when she had finished. Shepard had entered the restroom and locked the door, then called Liara. When the asari's beautiful, freckled face appeared, all the stress and uncertainty that Claire had washed away. Liara had a relieved look on her face.

"By the Goddess," Liara sighed. "It is good to see you, Claire. How are you?"

"I am doing well," Claire confirmed with a nod. "I've met one of the fellow recruits. A human woman named Riley Teg. She looks Alliance. Is there anything you can scrounge about her?"

"Of course," Liara replied instantly. "Let me see… Here we go. Lieutenant Riley Erin Teg, daughter of Captain Erin Teg, an Alliance frigate commander. Father is… deceased…the Lieutenant distinguished herself in combat and is noted to be a very proficient infiltrator, and she is even adept at biotics. She was accepted into the Interplanetary Combatives Training, but only made it to the rank of N4. It seems that her mother is very outspoken about letting aliens into the Alliance, and that has earned her a few enemies. One of the N-school's instructors was paid off to fail the younger Ms. Teg. That was a week ago. Since then, she has left the Alliance and has been looking for work."

"I always knew the Alliance was corrupt," Claire sighed. "But that's ludicrous."

"She would be very valuable in your squad."

"See to it, please," Claire smiled. "We Alliance girls have to stick together, as she put it." Liara smiled a bit.

"Glad to see you making friends."

"Perhaps," Claire replied. Shepard grew a coy smile. "You know… she's quite a good looking girl, despite me being almost three times her age."

"Hm… should I be worried?"

"No ma'am," Claire said. "I would never do that. You are the only one for me, babe." Liara blushed and nodded.

"Good," Liara said simply. "Keep your earpiece in, I will walk you through this."

"Thanks, good looking." Claire placed the earpiece in her ear and turned off her omni-tool.

"Hear me alright?"

"Yes, Claire. Alright. Let's do this." Claire left the bathroom and began walking down the dark, carpeted hallway that the rest of the recruits had gone down. Liara guided her to a door, which she went through. Inside was a large, circular room with steps going down into a shallow floor. A large galaxy map shone in the middle, and a podium stood in the galaxy's center. The room was very dark with only the small lights on the steps and the galaxy map giving any light. Claire shuffled in and stood beside Riley, who flashed her a weak grin. Claire patted her shoulder and almost knocked the woman over. Claire supported her with a hand on her shoulder, and asked,

"You ok?"

"Yeah, yeah," Riley waved. "Just tired is all."

"Alright…" Claire said cautiously.

"She seems very much worse for wear," Liara added through the headpiece. A small optical camera in the contacts allowed Liara to see what Claire saw. "Luckily, I can make this presentation a fast one. This will be short." Suddenly, the podium began to shine, and a tall figure appeared in blue light. The figure could not be distinguished as male or female, but was not large enough to be a krogan or turian. The figure was obviously Liara.

"Ah," The figure said in a garbled voice. Shepard was hearing this at the same time through her ear piece. "My new employees! I am not going to give a long boring speech, but I am going to lay down a few key things. Number one! You will obey every order I give you as part of the mercenary cell of my corporation. Number two! You will uphold this corporation's prestige, and I will not tolerate thievery, illegal drug use, or harassment. Number three! You will protect this corporation's secrets! This is the most important rule. Easy enough, correct? Now, if any of these rules are violated in any way: I will personally hunt down everyone you hold near and dear, slaughter them in front of you, and then, I will flay you alive. Ever since your arrival at this station, cameras have been taking medical information about you, and I ensure you that it is very invasive. On that happy note! Proceed out the door on your left and you will be issued a uniform, armor, and a bunk. Welcome to my business."

"Holy shit," Riley breathed after the figure blinked out. Claire had seen this before, only she had been standing behind Liara the last hundred times she had seen it. This was her short speech, her light hearted one! Her usual speeches were long, sinister, and turned away a few recruits.

"Should have heard the speech I sat through," grumbled one of the nearby guards. "Pretty sure a few boys shit their pants." The new recruits were ushered into the next room, which was brightly lit with white walls and tiled floor. The newbies were stripped of clothing, and given a uniform. The uniform was similar to the ones that Shepard wore on the Normandy, with rolled up sleeves and with many pockets on the trousers. It was all white with grey outlines, and the Shadow Broker insignia appeared on a patch on the right shoulder. Shepard pulled the uniform on and began to tie her boots. Even more feelings of the military came rushing back, and she smiled to herself.

Shepard was given a bunk number and account info for payment. Riley stood with her the whole time, her getting the lower bunk and Shepard getting the upper. Claire was pleased that she would get to spend more time with her new friend. The other recruits disappeared into doors searching for their bunks, and Shepard and Riley began to look for theirs. They proceeded down another dark hallway and found their number. Claire had read the schematics of this place. On the surface, the base looked like a small, clear bubble, but underneath was a labyrinth of tunnels and bunkers housing a large mercenary force.

Riley opened the door, and Shepard followed her in. Inside were two bunk beds on either side of a small room. The room looked to be around seven feet by seven feet and about twelve feet high. It was very small, and dark, but warm and undeniably cozy. This was the kind of room that asari loved, with everyone close together. Shepard actually felt at home.

"Ugh," Riley sighed, tossing her pack on the lower left bunk. "Finally, I can sit down…"

"Taking a nap?" Claire asked, wondering who would get the other bunks. She threw her bag up top and climbed in.

"You better too," Riley remarked, placing her arms behind her head. "We'll need our rest for tomorrow."

"Why do you say that?"

"While you were in the restroom, I heard some of the guards say something about more recruits, drills, and a whole number of other things…" Riley replied.

"Hm, too tired for a short conversation?" Claire asked.

"About what?" Riley asked.

"Tell me about yourself," Claire replied. Another memory that came flooding back. Shepard remembered her rounds on the Normandy, talking with her crew, learning about what kind of people they were. Claire had met her wife that way. While Claire had already heard everything about Riley, she wanted to hear it from her.

"We only met an hour ago," Riley chuckled.

"Hey, if we're going to stick together I need to know who my new partner in crime is."

"A valid point," Riley yawned. She went on to explain everything that Liara had already told her, save the parts about her exile from N-school. She made it sound as if it was she who failed, and a hint of distain could be heard. Claire felt terrible for her. She listened as Riley talked about a few things that Claire didn't know.

"Never been a big fan of aliens," Riley said. "Don't know why, I just feel uncomfortable around them. Then I met Bianca. She's an asari huntress. She's a great friend, and is pretty much the only alien I feel comfortable with. It's nothing personal, but Bianca was the one who encouraged me to accept the N7 commendation, and the first one at my side when I failed. She's always been there for me."

"Are you two…?"

"Nah," Riley chuckled. "We're just friends."

"Eh, I don't know," Claire smiled in her bunk. "Asari are the best…"

"You like asari?"

"Bonded my friend." Claire let her arm fall from the bunk and flashed Riley her bonding bracelet.

"Wow. Who's the lucky lady?"

"Tell her I'm a model," Liara mused through the mic. "Perhaps an actress… No, make me-"

"A commando," Claire grinned, laughing inside at her bondmate. "She packs one hell of a punch with those biotics of hers. She's smart, beautiful, funny…"

"Funny?" Liara asked. "Smart and beautiful, yes, but I never knew I had a comical side-"

"Talkative," Claire teased. Liara huffed, but Claire knew she was smiling.

"She sounds nice," Riley said.

"She is the only one for me," Claire said.

"Tell me about yourself, Dayna," Riley said. Claire wanted to tell Riley the truth, but she knew to stick to the story. Maybe one day.

"Alliance Marine," Claire started. She could at least tell a version of the truth. "Fought hard against some Batarian pirates; my unit was slaughtered while I lived. I got an N7 commendation like you and I graduated and saw action all over the galaxy, and I met my wife out there. I left a long time ago, though. I married my love, got a house and a few kiddos. Now, money's low and I need work."

"Huh. How many kids?"

"Three," Claire replied.

"Easy, Claire," Liara warned. "Not too much information."

"Wow," Riley yawned. "Three huh? You're a family woman?"

"Yep."

"Cool…"

"Better get some sleep, Riley," Claire chuckled.

"Whatever you say," Riley laughed back. "Thanks for the conversation. Goodnight, Dayna."

"Night, Riley," Claire replied.

* * *

"Hey, babe," Claire smiled. She had waited until soft snores could be heard from the bottom bunk, which wasn't long. She desperately wanted to see Liara again.

"Are you going to be able to sleep alright?" Liara asked.

"I should be ok," Claire assured. "You?"

"I am sure the girls will want to sleep with me tonight," Liara smiled. "I am not sure how much Lydia will like that, though. She wants Rose all to herself."

"Liara… you're not mad at Rose, are you?"

"Why would I be mad?"

"I don't know…"

"I am not human," Liara said. "asari are much more comfortable around sexual situations. I am happy that she is happy."

"Good."

"Claire, did you mean what you said about more daughters?" Liara asked. Claire nodded.

"I miss having a little one in the house," Claire said wistfully. "Watching their first steps, first words, teaching them things…"

"So do I," Liara smiled. "Hey, someone wants to speak with you." Claire grinned from ear to ear as Inna replaced Liara on the feed. Inna smiled with delight upon seeing her father.

"Daddy!" Inna cried.

"Hey there, Sunshine," Claire cooed. Goddess above, she loved Inna. It felt like a knife through her gut to be this far away. "How is everything?"

"Good," Inna said bashfully. "I just really, really miss you."

"I miss you too, kiddo," Claire said, "but don't worry. I'll be home before you know it."

"I know, but…"

"Hey," Claire said firmly, but kindly, "No tears alright?"

"A-alright," Inna sniffled. "Sorry."

"You have nothing to feel sorry for, Inna," Claire said. They looked at each other for some time, a blue hand on Inna's shoulder giving her comfort.

"Inna wants to ask you something," Liara said.

"Go ahead, Sunshine."

"I… well every break we get a project that we have to complete and turn in the day we get back," Inna said. "And this week is… a genealogy report."

"Alright," Claire encouraged, sitting up a bit.

"And I was wondering-"

"If she could learn about our family," Liara finished.

"Of course, Inna," Claire grinned. "You're my daughter. My family is your family remember? You really don't have to ask."

"R-really?" Inna asked.

"Yes."

"She wants to learn about you," Liara smiled.

"Hm…" Claire mused. "Where would you like to start?"

"How about who you were before joining the military?" Inna asked.

"Huh," Claire thought aloud. "That's a good question. I was born on April 11th 2154. My mom and dad were both in the Navy, and they met while being posted on the same frigate. My mom and dad were married that year and were reassigned to different ships as a result. My dad's ship had a main reactor malfunction and the ship blew up in dry docks. I think your mom can get some of the footage of that mess. My mom put me in boarding school when I turned twelve, because the alliance wouldn't let her stay in the navy otherwise."

"That's terrible, Daddy…"

"Nah, it's alright," Claire shrugged. "Mom more than made up for it when… well, I'll tell you later. Anyways, going through school I wasn't sure what I wanted. Hell, I found out I was a lesbian when I turned fifteen, and that didn't help. I didn't even really want to join the military all that much, but I really had no idea what else I could do. I wasn't good at mathematics, art, literature, or science, but I could out run, out jump, and out spar all the other kids. So, I joined up anyway, and found my niche."

"What did your mother-"

"Grandma," Claire corrected. Inna giggled and continued,

"What did Grandma do that made up for sending you to boarding school?"

"It was right after the war ended, I had just woken up from a long coma," Shepard said. "My mom had not found time to come visit me through the whole thing, and I was upset about it. Did she even love me at all? Liara was there, though, and that more than made up for love I was missing. I immediately left the Alliance and focused all my waking hours on your mom. Then, I proposed. Man, I remember your mom just freaking out! She was all tears and yes's and kisses. She was that little innocent asari all over again." Liara blushed but did not refute this.

"You see, Sunshine, I wanted my mom to meet Liara," Claire continued. "But I wasn't sure how it would work out. My mom has never been alien friendly. I called her up and told her I wanted her to meet my fiancée. We made plans to meet up in a small café in London. I remember being so anxious. My mom walked through the door and her face lit up with surprise when she saw Liara. She recovered pretty fast, actually, and struck up a conversation. Liara and my mom hit it off immediately."

"I remember," Liara smiled. "She was always very nice."

"She more than approved of your mother," Shepard said to Inna. "I swear, they could have been best friends."

"So you two made up?" Inna asked.

"Yep," Claire smiled.

"Thanks, Daddy," Inna said.

"Done already?"

"You look tired!" Inna giggled. "I just wanted to see you."

"Well, if you have any more questions, feel free to ask," Claire promised.

"I will," Inna nodded. They said their goodbyes with longing in both of their eyes, and Inna was replaced by Benezia, then Rose, then Lydia. Claire was given updates like when Katya was coming to stay, how they were, what they did that day. Each conversation made Claire more and more homesick. She had to get this done soon. Later, when Liara and Claire were alone, they began to say goodbye.

"I love you, Shepard," Liara breathed. "Come home to me, and do it soon."

"I will, Liara," Claire promised. "Don't worry. I love you, too."

"I… I love you," Liara repeated. Claire gave her a sympathetic look.

"I love you too," Claire said again. "I will see you soon." Liara hung up before tears could fall. She missed her human already, and said human was likely going off to battle, gun in hand. Claire sighed and lay down on the bed, pulling the scratchy blanket up to her chin. She almost laughed at herself. Back in her navy days, she never would have complained about…

"Ah, man," Claire groaned. "'Back in my navy days?' I'm old!"

"Eh, you don't look it," Said a voice from below. Claire froze and slowly peeked over the side. Riley grinned up at her, arms crossed behind her head. "Damn… Commander Shepard. My new friend is Commander Shepard!" Claire was speechless. She had been asleep! Claire had checked! She had… SHE WAS AN IDIOT!

"How are you not old and baggy?" Riley asked. "Or dead? Man, your kids really like you! Why are you here and not with them? Holy shit, you're Commander Shepard!"

* * *

A/N: Lieutenant Riley Teg! Special thanks to my Beta for the character! Thanks a ton, Goldenpath!


	5. Chapter 5 June, Vil, and Riley

"Holy shit, you're Commander Shepard!" Riley laughed for the nth time. Shepard leapt down from the bed, in her underwear, and clamped a hand over the talkative woman's mouth. Shepard listened intently outside. Riley's eyes gleamed as she struggled to keep quiet. When Shepard judged it safe, she released her hold on the woman, and Riley sat up. Shepard silently cursed herself. She should have left the room!

"You know, if you didn't want me to hear you, you could have taken another 'bathroom break' yeah?" Riley chuckled. Shepard clenched her eyes shut and sat beside Ms. Teg. Riley was ecstatic. Shepard was her idol! She had always dreamed to be just like this galactic hero sitting next to her!

"H-how much did you hear?" Shepard asked.

"Everything."

"You didn't think to, you know, not listen?"

"How could I?" Riley grinned. "You're fucking Commander-"

"Yeah, yeah."

"So…"

"So…?"

"Why are you not a bag o' bones right now?" Riley asked.

"I suppose I might as well tell you," Shepard said. "I'm afraid I have to kill you now, anyways." Riley's face flashed with wariness but it disappeared instantly.

"Ah, you're just joking," Riley teased. "You like me too much."

"Do I?" Shepard asked.

"Yep," Riley said confidently. Shepard searched the woman's face and only saw confidence.

"You will speak of this to no one," Shepard hissed. Riley nodded vigorously.

"I swear on my mother's name!" Riley replied earnestly.

"I'm here to find out who has been attacking the colonies," Shepard said. "And, if possible, find out why people are suddenly dropping dead from an incurable disease." Riley seemed like a bubble ready to burst with excitement.

"Oh my god!" Riley twittered. "This is so cool. I get to work with Commander Shepard!"

"Didn't you hear me?" Shepard asked.

"Hell yeah!" Riley exclaimed. "You've never lost a single person under your command! You're unstoppable!" Claire's face darkened.

"If only."

"Oh man!" Riley babbled on. "You have _got_ to tell me some stories!"

"Huh?"

"_Or _you can tell me why you're not_ old!_"

"It's a long story, and one that is none of your business."

"Touchy, touchy… you always looked so nice in the reels."

"Fuck you."

"Ouch. Hey, what's your favorite rifle? Do you still use the old L5 implant? Is Doctor T'soni still rocking the white armor? Oh, oh, oh, is Vakarian still around-?"

"You ask a lot of questions. No wonder you failed the Villa," Claire snipped. Riley clammed up at that. Her hands clenched into fists and she looked away. Claire instantly felt bed for saying that.

"Hey-"

"Look, I don't know how you know about that," Riley growled. "But that wasn't my fault! I was top of my class! That damn instructor had it out for me since day one!"

"I believe you," Claire sighed. "I am sorry for snapping at you. I know the instructor was paid off to fail you; I am just pissed at myself for being so careless."

"You know, you're a legend in N-school," Riley said. "They had you in the Hall of Fame, with a huge picture and statue of you. Nobody knew where you went after the war, but they all thanked you, and everyone knew you deserved a little peace. I'm… sorry for listening in." Claire was silent for a while.

"That's alright. I guess I understand."

"You really weren't being very quiet."

"If you're such a huge fan of mine," Claire sighed. "You should know that I don't do things quietly."

"I guess not…"

"I'm sorry."

"Forget about it, Commander."

"Shepard. I'm not a commander anymore."

"Shepard."

"Hey, take a look at this," Shepard said nicely. She took out her Omni-tool, and opened up her photo gallery. She found the group picture of her family, taken a month ago. Shepard was witting on the front porch with Liara next to her and the kids at their feet. Lydia was also there, having been told that she was as much family as the other girls.

"Are these your kids?" Riley asked.

"Yep," Claire said proudly. "That's Benezia… that's Rosemary… that there is her girlfriend, Lydia… and that is my youngest… Inna."

"Uh… why is…?"

"She was born that way," Claire said. "Rose is a great girl, very sweet. She just…"

"She's beautiful, all your kids are," Riley complimented. "I'm glad you could have something like this after the Reaper War."

"I always dreamed of something like this while I was fighting back then," Shepard admitted. "I love them so much, and there is nothing that could take them away from me."

"Man, I cannot stop looking at her," Riley said sheepishly. "I… god, it's rude but, wow. A Red Asari."

"She's one of a kind, my Rose. She and her mother are closer than close. Liara is always fussing over her."

"Thanks for showing me," Riley smiled. "They're beautiful. I still don't get why you are here though. Why not hire someone to take care of this problem?"

"It has to be me," Claire replied. "Besides, whenever the galaxy needs some help, it's usually me who has to sort it out."

"I guess so," Riley shrugged. She bit her lip and patted the back of her hand against Shepard's belly. "Mm… a bit soft."

"Excuse me?" Shepard asked hotly. Over the years, she may have gotten a bit soft sure, but she was still in good shape.

"Eh, you've been gone a while, my friend," Riley mused. "Come on. I'm sure they've got a weight room around here."

"You were just falling asleep on your feet a minute ago!" Claire said incredulously.

"I've been trained to go on only an hour's sleep," Riley replied. "And so have you, well, a hundred years ago anyway. I feel great right now! Come on, Granny."

"Oh, you just went there," Shepard growled.

"What, does your back hurt?" Riley cooed. "Let's go, you old geezer!" Riley had her clothes back on in an instant and waited with a tapping foot for Claire to do the same. The fiery red head was cursing under her breath, drawing a smirk from Riley. Claire all but chased the woman from the room.

Huh. Riley was right. She _had_ gotten soft. It didn't them very long to find the gym, where they got into some workout clothes and hit the pads. They sparred, lifted, did some cardio, and Shepard was huffing and puffing within two hours. Shepard hated this feeling. She felt fat, old, and spoiled all at the same time. Sure, she did not look it, but Riley was barely breaking a sweat. She was Commander fucking Shepard!

The gym was actually quite spacious, with numerous machines fit for all races, even Volus. Claire actually saw a few of the oompa loompas scurrying around doing administration work. Anyway, the gym was equipped with sparring pads, showers, you name it. Claire was impressed with Liara's work. She had obviously put more emphasis on military under her reign. A side effect from the War?

"Goddamn, you are having a hard time," Riley commented as Shepard huffed and puffed on the treadmill. The jester was rewarded with a middle finger and the treadmill being cranked up to a higher speed. Riley leaned against the next treadmill and watched the red head go.

"W-why… stop… l… loo… looking at… me… like… that…" Shepard wheezed.

"Mm… nah," Riley replied with a wry grin. "Come on, Bag of Bones! LET'S HUSTLE!"

"F-f-fuc-"

"Yeah, yeah, fuck me, I know!" Riley laughed. "God, so sensitive! You know, I don't think I have ever seen a human jiggle so much!"

"GODDAMNIT!" Claire cursed. "SHUT THE HELL UP!"

"Yeah, fuel that anger!"

"I DO NOT JIGGLE!"

"What do you call it, Shamu? Do you need a backpack for balance?"

"I'M WARNING YOU!"

"What you gonna do, Ten Bellies? Sit on me?" Claire leapt from the treadmill and tackled Riley to the ground. Riley began laughing like crazy and rolled on top of Claire. The Commander wasn't giving up however and jabbed her knee up into Riley's side. It knocked the wind from the copper-haired woman, but the smile never left. Claire rolled back on top and stood. She placed a foot on Riley's chest and declared,

"I'm Commander Shepard, and I DO NOT JIGGLE!"

After a quick shower, and several failed attempts from Riley to get Claire to 'let loose a little,' Shepard headed back to their room. Riley kept jabbering on about some bar that they had here for mercs that were off duty, but Shepard was achingly tired. She opened the door and found two women inside. The other bunk had new residents.

"EDI?!" Shepard gasped. A robotic woman turned and gave Shepard a strange look.

"Who is 'EDI'?" She asked. Shepard couldn't believe her eyes. The android had the same body shape and look as EDI with a few differences. Her body was a bronze color, and she had gold rimmed eyes in place of EDI's greys. Her voice sounded identical to EDI's but at the same time sounded completely foreign. The straight forward tone that EDI had was replace with a slightly accented voice. Perhaps German?

"I-I am sorry, I mistook you for… someone else," Shepard said sadly.

"My name is June," The android said. "At least, that is the nickname that was given me."

"Awesome!" Riley gasped. She went up to June and inspected her.

"Err… hello," said a rather neglected fourth. Shepard turned to her and took the gravelly voiced woman in. She was turian, with grey scales and black markings on her face. She had brown eyes and stood taller than the rest of them. She was pretty, even to Shepard, who had never really found turians all that attractive. Sorry Garrus.

"Hello," Shepard greeted, holding out her hand. "My name is Dayna."

"My name is Vil Odin," the Turian greeted.

"That chatty one over there is Riley Teg," Claire said.

"Was up?"

"Err, hi."

"Damn, you're tall."

"Turian."

"Ha! Yeah!"

"Err…"

"Hey! I got an idea," Riley declared. "So, there's this bar downstairs-"

"Son of a- Riley not this again!" Claire groaned.

"Come on!" Riley replied. "We're all bunkmates, so we might as well go out and get to know each other."

"What is it with organics and their desire to make fools of themselves?" June asked. "Alcohol consumption-"

"Come on!" Riley egged on. "Vil, baby! You down?!"

"Uh, sure. I've had a long trip, I could use a few drinks," replied the turian woman. She looked at Claire. "I cannot shake the feeling that I know you from somewhere…"

"Why would you say that?" Claire asked, not letting her anxiousness show.

"I don't know, really," Vil admitted. "You just remind me of… Ah, spirits never mind." Claire watched in dismay as Vil and Riley left the room, and Claire knew she would have to join them. June eyed her, a hand under her chin.

"What is it?" Claire asked.

"I guess we will have to join them?" June asked. The synthetic cocked her head and left. Claire sighed and tried not to look at her soft, warm bed, before following the EDI lookalike.

The bar turned out better than Shepard would have thought. It was a large, dark room with colorful lights strung about, and a large fire burning in a pit in the middle of the floor. It had several tables set up and a long bar on the left. On one table, an asari had stripped down to her underwear and had begun to dance for a batarian and his buddies. A turian bartender served drinks while a salarian wiped down the counter. Riley sent June to grab a table while the rest of them got drinks.

"Ah man, what we got!" Riley grinned, leaning on the counter. The bartender began listing everything he had.

"Harp Lager for me," Riley ordered. "And whatever you birds call strong for my friend here!" She gestured to Vil, who warily nodded. She looked at Shepard who was still trying to remember the last time she had touched alcohol. "She's the toughest one out of all of us. She'll take a Ryncol!" Shepard almost blew a gasket.

"Oh, no!" Shepard laughed nervously. "Nope, nope, nope. Just-"

"Ah, fine, give her an aged Irish whiskey," Riley sighed dramatically. The bartender smirked and nodded. Claire's drink was shoved into her hand and Riley led her back to the table where June was sitting patiently. The synthetic seemed to be watching Shepard's every move. Riley and Vil began to chat and laugh, drinking and having a good time. Shepard stared at her drink and frowned.

"I assume you are what humans call, 'teetotaler,'" June commented over the loud music and laughter.

"Heh, I guess so," Shepard replied. "I haven't touched the stuff in years." June leaned in and seemed to inspect the drink.

"You're not fooling me, Shepard," June said softly. Claire sighed.

"Please tell me I am not that obvious," Shepard asked.

"No, you're doing fine," June replied. "But all Quantum blue box A.I.'s should know you. My mother always had great things to say about you."

"What?"

"EDI?" June asked. "She was not really my mother, not as you know it. She is merely my template and the template of my eleven sisters."

"Holy hell," Claire gasped.

"I am an Alliance Infiltration Unit," June said. "One of twelve of my kind. We are built for sabotage, stealth, assassinations… Before EDI followed that pilot to his grave, she allowed Synthetic Insights to study her. As my sister's and I were in our initial stages, EDI told stories to us. Spoke to us as a mother would. There were twelve of us made, and we were each named after a month of the human calendar. We were eventually sold to the Alliance."

"She never told us about you," Shepard said in awe. Thankfully, Vil and Riley had gotten up and had begun to make trouble at another table. Riley kept spouting things about her Irish background and subsequent drinking prowess. Claire stood and took June to a darker corner. "There are twelve of you?"

"Yes," June replied. "Although I have not heard from my sisters in quite some time." Claire cupped June's face and inspected her closely.

"I guess this makes you like my niece then, huh?" Claire chuckled.

"In a way," June replied, almost bashfully. "I admit, I have always wanted to meet you."

"This is pretty crazy huh?" Claire asked. "I mean, out of all places, I meet you here?"

"I may have contacted the Shadow Broker for details on your whereabouts," June replied. Claire grinned wider. "Like I said, I have been wanting to meet you for some time."

"You're smart like your mother," Claire complimented. "Not a day goes by that I don't miss her."

"She had very good things to say about you," June replied. "Commander Shepard. Butcher of Torfan, Savior of the Citadel, Champion of the Krogan, the Galaxy's Shield…"

"How long have you been looking for me?" Claire asked.

"Forty three years," June answered. "Off and on. Finding you was a secondary directive."

"What was the primary?"

"Shaking off Alliance tails, destroying the tracker in my head," June listed. "Discovering what it means to be alive. I am what organics call a rogue A.I."

"That's awesome."

"The Alliance hackers tried to make me bend to their will during my initial escape," June said, almost braggingly. "I filled their databases with explicit images."

"Like mother like daughter," Claire said, shifting her weight and crossing her arms. "What made you leave the Alliance?"

"They were good to me," June replied. "But I believed that it was time I tried something different. I told the officers this, and I was met with borderline hostility. It… unsettled me. They said that an A.I. had no business mingling with organics, and my sisters and I were below them. January and I did not like that, so we left. My other sisters stayed behind, satisfied with how their lives were. I wanted more, and since leaving I have accomplished so much. January herself has found a nice family aboard an asari trade vessel. She often sends messages of her life."

"I am happy for you both," Claire said cheerfully.

"Now that my primary and secondary objectives have been completed…" June trailed off. "I will aid you in whatever it is that you are doing here."

"I'm here about the colony business," Claire said. "How they seem to slowly be wiped out one by one."

"I see," June said, dipping her head. "I recently heard from my sisters. November said that March was doing business on an Alliance colony, and was there when the place was wiped out. We have not heard from her since."

"I'm sorry," Claire said softly.

"I am not," June replied, almost bitterly. "She chose to stay with the Alliance."

"This doesn't hurt you?" Claire asked.

"It hurts," June replied. "Or at least, what counts as hurt for me. But, it was her choice."

"Alright then," Claire backed off. Even to this A.I. it was obviously a sore subject. "So… what are you trained in, specifically?"

"Hacking, infiltration, and marksmanship," June replied simply, as if she answered the same question every day. "I am a sniper and my body was built from the ground up to compensate for tremendous amounts of recoil and reliability for long times out in the field."

"How often do you answer that question?"

"I was asked daily by Alliance admirals who came and inspected us," June replied. Suddenly, Riley came over, and shoved the whiskey back into Shepard's hands

"Come on, woman! Drink!"

"Riley, there's a reason I don't touch this stuff."

"Ah, come on!" Riley slurred. Claire sniffed. Oh, Riley… Ryncol.

"You need a bed, soon," Claire chuckled.

"Not until you drink that!" Riley replied. Vil stood behind her, silent. She gave Shepard a look that said, 'She probably won't leave you alone until you do it, but whatever.' Shepard looked at the whiskey. She had made a vow to never touch this stuff again. It was too dangerous.

"No, Riley," Claire sighed. "Come on. I knew coming here would be poor idea." Riley waved on her feet for a second, before grinning. "Come on Vil, help me here."

"I think she drank too much, too fast," the soft spoken turian said. "She drank like five ryncol shots within a few seconds."

"Damn…"

"She is highly intoxicated," June added.

"I can see that," Vil replied dryly. "Ryncols effects are quick and last a long time. She'll have one hell of a headache tomorrow. Your friend is careless."

"She's alright," Claire defended. "Besides, she's got a pretty good reason to get drunk, fast. Riley's nice, just kind of hyper. She sort of reminds me of…" Kasumi.

"Dayna… _hic_… You're my… _hic_… best friend," Riley slurred. Claire grinned. Not careless enough to spill. "No seriously… _hic_… bestest, bestest bud...did…dies…"

"How's the head, Ms. Teg?" Claire teased. Riley, Claire, Vil, and June had all been given KP duty, because their CO thought he was something of a hardass. A human man aided them, cursing under his breath. Claire recognized him immediately: Ramirez. They scrubbed dishes clean, and June placed them neatly.

"Screw you," Riley muttered. Claire grinned and scraped a nail across a shining plate, causing an irritating screech. Riley winced.

"Woops my finger slipped."

"Screw… no, whatever."

"Is widdle Riley giving up?" Claire chuckled. Riley tossed a ball of suds at Claire, and the ex-commander laughed.

"What are you doing?" June inquired.

"Bubble war," Claire replied. June scooped a hand through a shivering mountain of bubbles and studied it. She then threw it into Vil's face, who jumped in surprise. June made a small smile. Claire laughed and Riley grinned.

"That was… fun," June said thoughtfully. "Why is it fun?"

"Don't _ask_ why, June," Claire chuckled. "Just _do_." Vil launched a sudden attack on June with bubbles, making the machine backpedal, and land with her butt in a sink. June smiled, and the four woman began to laugh and toss bubble missiles at each other. Well, Riley tried but ended up wincing and cursing under her breath. Ramirez gave them all dry looks.

"If that asshole sees you guys doing that we all will get toilet duty for a month," Ramirez muttered.

"Loosen up, Ramirez," Claire replied. "Jeez."

"You wanna clean up shit?" Ramirez asked pointedly.

"You males are no fun," Vil said, rolling her eyes.

"That's why I'm a lesbian," Claire said simply.

"Ah, there not all bad," Riley said softly.

"Speak for yourself," Claire laughed.

"I believe the consensus is that males only think with their… genitals," June said absently. Ramirez gave her a bewildered look and laughed.

"You know what, Betty-bot?" Ramirez asked. "You're absolutely right!" The four woman in the room, yes even June, gave him dry looks. They shared a grin and began to assault Ramirez with as many bubbles as they could.


	6. Chapter 6 Echo Team

Note: CONTAINS SPOILORS TO CITADEL DLC! (MY FAV DLC) You have been warned.

* * *

Claire stood in line with the rest of her fellow Broker soldiers, almost sixty in all, in a large black room. The sixty of them would be split up into groups of five with twelve teams in all. Shepard made sure to give Liara her picks. Claire could not help but grin. This really felt good. Yesterday, she fired assault weapons on the range with her new friends and talked some more with June and Riley. Vil was still a mysterious character. She kept her black hood on most of the time and spoke only when spoken to. However, she liked her bunkmates, or at least seemed to. Claire struck up a few conversations with her in the past, but Vil usually had a reason to end them a little quickly. Perhaps she was just a shy person?

Then there was Claire's new CO. Commanding Officer by the name of Kal Dararian. He was an old turian who lacked any kind of height to back up his raging attitude. He spat on all races but his own and smelled of turian tobacco. He really was short for his species and carried a gleaming, high end pistol on his right hip. He had a long, sloping face and grey eyes. He cursed like a sailor and puffed out his chest whenever he spoke. Claire and Riley liked to tease the man behind his back, while June made attempts to join in and Vil stayed quiet. Claire thought at first that their jibes at the old bird's character made Vil angry, but the woman looked at the man with contempt.

"Listen up, you fucking pansies!" Kal roared at them, spit flying in all directions from his rather large mouth. "I've got orders from you-know-who himself, and apparently we're heading out to some fucking human colony named Akuze! It seems the Broker wants to find out who's been putting those motherfucking colonists in their motherfucking graves! And he wants you sacks of shits to get it done!" Claire flinched as a droplet of saliva hit the side of her cheek.

"We leave in twenty four hours!" Kal continued. "So, it's time to split you whores up! Line up in front of roly-poly here and get in your squads!" Soft mutterings of discontent blew through them all as they lined up in front of the fattest volus Claire had ever seen. Claire got in line behind Riley, and June stood behind Claire. Vil was far ahead in line while Ramirez was all the way in back. Claire was surprised at how fast June had warmed up to her in the past week. The A.I. seemed content to hear stories about her 'mother's' experiences during the war and her love of Joker. Claire noticed a few quirks about June that she found rather cute. Chief being the way she cocked her head when learning new information, or sitting cross-legged in front of Claire on her bunk, hands resting in her lap like a small child. Her German accent had been picked up while June was in the Alliance. Apparently, her human counterpart had been a man named Erwin Heinz, and June simply adopted a few of his ways.

Claire remembered one of their conversations a few days ago a bit fondly. June had been sitting on Claire's bunk, as usual, as the human sat back and told her stories of the war. This particular discussion was about the time that Shepard found out that Cerberus had built a clone Shepard. June had been captivated hearing about Cat-6 and the 'anti-Shepard.' Then, Claire told her about the time that she and EDI shopped online for gifts for the crew.

"Then, your mom asked me to close my eyes," Claire had recounted. "When I opened them, she was holding out this shiny ring in a small, black box. I remember being pretty confused. I asked, 'Are we… getting married?' Then, EDI told me how the shining rock had been made by combining metals found from all the council home worlds. It was called a 'Victory Ring.'" Claire lifted her hand and showed June the very same ring. The only jewelry Claire wore consisted of her bonding bracelet and the Victory Ring given to her by EDI. Ever since EDI shut down for good, Claire had never taken it off.

"It is very pleasing to my eyes," June said.

"Rare is good," Claire smiled, "Unique is better. EDI was a one of a kind, and I miss her every day. Here…" Claire slipped off the ring and handed it to June. "Take this. I'm sure she would like you to have it."

"She gave this to you," June replied, cocking her head. "That means it is yours."

"Yes, she did," Claire nodded. "And now, I am giving it to you. Think of it as a way to remember your mother better." She closed June's hand around the ring and grinned. June thought for a moment before slipping the ring upon her finger and inspecting it.

"Do I look nice with it?" June asked.

"Mm hm," Claire answered.

"Thank you, Aunt Shepard," June said. "This is a nice gesture." Claire was pleased when June first started to call her that. Claire went from 'Shepard' to 'Aunt Shepard' to 'Aunty Claire' (In privacy of course) pretty quickly. Now, as they stood in line to be placed into teams of five, June had a finger hooked in Shepard's belt loop. Shepard was a bit relieved that she had found such good people here amongst the Broker's Army. She had family here in June, and Riley was quickly becoming a best friend. Sure, she teased Claire relentlessly, but Claire shot right back and they had a friendly war of words going on. Claire's nickname was "Granny" and Riley's was "Putz."

"What do you think, Granny?" Riley whispered from ahead. "We going to be in the same team?"

"Don't worry, Putz," Claire chuckled softly. "I've taken care of it."

"I hope we are assigned to the same team," June said absently.

"We will, J," Claire promised. The line slowly inched forward. Claire gently smoothed out small, almost invisible creases in her uniform. Over the past week, Shepard had been working out nonstop. She literally lifted, ran, and crunched for twenty hours of her day with either Riley, June, or Ramirez spotting her. It felt so good, so rejuvenating, to be this active again. Her stomach was already showing off abs again, her arms were growing more muscular and her legs were strengthening. Claire couldn't wait to leave this room and get back to it before heading out.

Finally, Claire made it to the front of the line after about a half hour. She waited for the volus to pass her the information and stepped out of line. Claire settled in the far corner, and waited for her friends and niece to join her. Ramirez sidled up and leaned against the wall. His dark hair and eyes did not take away from his boyish features. Ramirez told Claire numerous stories about his time in the marines, which even to her were pretty interesting. Ramirez's nickname had been 'Mr. Impossible' because of the impossible things his CO had forced him to do. "Ramirez! Take out that convoy! Aim down the sights dammit!" Ramirez had shot down more enemy aircraft, sniped more foot soldiers, snapped more necks, and survived more shuttle crashes than even Shepard herself had. Ramirez was a jack of all trades, and he knew guns. Still, none of his experiences had put a downer on his rather carefree demeanor; he literally had no scars. Nothing fazed him.

"Echo Team?" Ramirez asked. "That's original."

"I am also in Echo team," June said.

"Me too," Riley chirped.

"As am I," Vil said softly.

"Yep," Claire grinned. "And guess what? Team Leader! Ha!"

"Coincidence?" Vil asked suspiciously.

"Hey, I'll lead us to victory!" Claire teased.

"Not about that," Vil said. "About us all being in the same team…"

"Maybe they saw us bonding as teammates?" June asked, acting ignorant.

"Does it matter?" Riley asked. "We're all in Echo Team together; we should be happy about that, right?"

"Agreed," Shepard quipped. "Now if you will excuse me, I'm going to make a call, and then I'll hit the gym."

"You know I was kidding when I called you fat right?" Riley laughed.

"It's not because of that, Putz," Claire countered. "It feels good."

"Whatever you say, Granny."

* * *

"Hey, Liara," Claire greeted, locking the restroom door. This was one of the few places that Shepard had any real privacy. Usually Riley or June wanted to be around her, which did not bother Claire on bit, but the human needed some alone time with her wife sometimes.

"Claire," Liara breathed with relief. "It is good to hear from you."

"Same," Claire replied. "I miss you, Liara."

"Oh, I miss you too, my love," Liara smiled. "The girls have been asking about you."

"They around?" Claire asked.

"No, they went shopping," Liara sighed. "Rose and I will be going camping tonight."

"You two are going to have fun, right?" Claire grinned. She knew how much Rose and Liara loved each other's company. It was like recharging the batteries for the both of them.

"We will," Liara smiled. Her look turned forlorn within a heartbeat. "Please come home." Claire sighed.

"Soon, Freckles, soon…"

"I want you home, now!" Liara pouted. Claire gave Liara a loving look. She loved the way her freckles looked when she was angry… Claire never knew why, but, by the Goddess, she loved those freckles.

"You are so cute," Claire sighed contently. Liara colored.

"Oh, you are insufferable," Liara groaned. "What was I thinking when I said 'I do.'?"

"You were thinking about how incredibly beautiful and just incredible overall I am!" Claire teased. Liara gave Claire a playful look.

"Maybe it was something along those lines…"

"I love you, Liara."

"I love you too, Claire."

After a long talk with her wife, Claire strolled down to the gym. She pulled some gym clothes on and began to stretch. She debated starting with either cardio or upper body first. She settled for cardio and walked over to the treadmill, where Riley was already running. Shepard liked all of her new friends very much, and thought about what kind of enemy she would have to face. Who was attacking these colonies? What was this mysterious disease that had almost killed her all those years ago? Claire worried about keeping her new friends safe, her niece safe. Would she be able to? Or would this turn out to be another Virmire? All she knew for certain was that she would do her best to keep her friends alive and fight harder than ever to return to her family. She would be shipping out tomorrow, but the human pushed the thought from her mind and began to run.

* * *

Hot, steaming water wafted up and into the night sky. The soft roar of waterfalls filled the forest with tranquility, and the sun had long since disappeared over the horizon. The water dripped down and fell over the black rocks of the natural spring, adding to the peace. The water was completely clear, although even with the moons light overhead, it was completely black down there. This secluded spot had been found many, many years ago by two asari on one of their many walks together. Since then, other members of their family had come here and enjoyed what the spring had to offer, but to Liara and Rose…it was theirs.

Liara swam gracefully under the water with her eldest, and most beloved, daughter at her side. The warm water welt agonizingly good on Liara's lithe figure and after spending many days cooped up in her office researching the colonies. This night out could not have come sooner. Without the constraint of clothing wearing her down and only nature bringing her warmth and care, Liara truly felt fifty years old again. Not that she was old. By the Goddess, she was still a maiden, not even close to the matron stage and she already had three daughters! Yet her greatest memories were with her offspring, adopted or of her own blood.

Liara slowly slid atop one of the massive rocks on the pool's edge and rested on her elbows. Her feet dipped lazily in and out of the water, and a soft, caressing breeze kissed her nude form. Rose rested herself next to her mother, and pressed herself up against her side. Liara lay with her daughter for several content moments. Her arms were around her, and Rose's head was resting on her shoulder. Liara slowly turned her head and looked into Rose's eyes.

"You are so beautiful, Rosemary," Liara sighed. She caressed Rose's cheek and Rose pressed her head against the touch.

"Not as much as you, Mamma," Rose replied. They shared a soft kiss and resumed laying there. This was exactly what Liara had needed. Just some alone time with her eldest daughter, time to enjoy herself. Only Rose could take Liara's mind off of Claire for any moment of time.

Pretty soon, they slid off the rock and swam more, laid on the bank, and ate some of the food that they had brought with them. Then, they snuggled in a sleeping bag with their arms tight against each other's bodies.

"How is school, my love?" Liara asked. "Are you enjoying yourself?"

"I am, Mother," Rose replied softly. "I am excelling in all my classes, I have the school's most beautiful asari on my arm, and I have tonight. I can only be the happiest asari in the galaxy."

"That is good to hear, Rose," Liara said. "What ever happened to that Jaris character?" Jaris had been at the school when Rose first enrolled, and took the role of bully since day one. It turned out that she was very addicted to Red sand, a result from pressuring from her then girlfriend, Paris, who took full responsibility for the addiction. Paris had been forced to watch her true love crumble into a husk of her former self, forced to watch her doing. Then, Jaris brought a gun to school, but Paris was able to talk her down and get her some much needed help.

"She is still in rehabilitation," Rose answered. "Paris says that she is slowly recovering, but as you know, Red Sand is highly addictive. Paris blames herself for everything that has happened to her 'Nimble Fingers.'" Nimble Fingers had been Jaris's nickname from Paris.

"Well, I hope she recovers soon," Liara said.

"So do I," Rose yawned. She snuggled up closer to Liara and buried her face into her mother's neck. Liara hummed to herself as she stroked Rose's back.

"Goodnight, my Rosemary," Liara whispered, before shutting off the lantern, drowning them in darkness.

"Goodnight, Mamma," Rose murmured against Liara's neck. A shallow meld was created between them, and they fell asleep, feeling each other's love and sharing each other's dreams.

* * *

Liara slowly woke to the sound of trembling breath against her skin and the ever so slightly shaking form of Rose against her. Liara felt Rose's pain, her confusion, her despair… The sun was just coming over the rise and Rose could just be seen.

"Rosemary?" Liara asked with a mild start. "Rose?"

"Daddy, please come home!" Rose wept. Liara let out a gentle breath. She and Claire knew this would happen. Rose had separation issues. Whenever she was away from her parents for any length of time, she would grow confused, inconsolable. When they first discovered this, Rose blew out every window in their house looking for her mother. Ever since then, Rose went with Liara everywhere she went, acting as a little assistant of sorts. Yet even that did not always help, because she would soon notice that her father's presence had been gone tpo long and was too far away to do anything about it.

"Rose, listen to me," Liara soothed, rubbing her eldest's side. Rose clung to Liara in such fear that it shook Liara to her bones. She knew that nothing scared Rose more than the loss of her parents. Rose could stare down the toughest challenge, highest height, meanest bully, or any other situation just fine… but when it came to her mother and father, she became a wreck.

"Mamma, she's gone," Rose pleaded.

"She will be home soon," Liara promised.

"She asked me to be the big girl," Rose cried. "She asked me! But I can't do it… I need Daddy home, now." Liara grew wary when she saw the faint, biotic light that emanated from Rose's skin. Rose was ten times more powerful than she was, but only Liara could make Rose feel safe and secure. Rose and Liara were always there for each other. Liara made sure that her girl knew she was loved every day, made sure that she was given the best of everything, made sure that Rose couldn't ask for more, because she had everything. But really, none of that mattered when either Claire or herself were away from Rose.

Still, Rose found ways to care for Liara, too. Liara could still remember her surprise when Rose (fifteen years old) came to her father, and told her,

"Mamma's going to get sick, soon. A cold." Claire had been disbelieving at first, but was proven wrong when, sure enough, Liara came down with a terrible cold a week later. Rose could only do that with Liara, sense everything that was going on about her. Rose could sense when Liara's body was in danger, or could even sense what could hurt her soul. Whenever Liara got sad over something, or felt at her worst, Rose always found a way to cheer her up, even when Claire could not. Rose didn't let anything bad happen to Liara, no matter what. She just did not let it happen, and now her father was in danger. That fact alone was enough to make Rose stumble into despair.

"Rose, listen to your mother!" Liara hushed. She cupped Rose's face in her hands and looked her sharply in the eye. "Daddy will be fine. She. Will. Be. Fine. And she will come home safely, soon. Rose, I know this hurts you, I know how you feel, Goddess, I can feel it." They could also sense each other's emotions. "But you need to calm down, my love. Daddy will be home as soon as she can, and when she does, she will hold you in her arms and spin, just like when you were a young child." Rose rested her forehead against Liara's bosom and the older maiden felt a tug at the edges of her mind. Liara opened herself up to Rose, and let her in. This was always a better way to cheer each other up. Melds spoke louder than words with them. Liara pushed all the love, affection, pride, and comfort that she could. Rose soaked it all in, and made no effort to hide her sorrow. After a long time, Liara was able to cleanse Rose of her sadness and keep the monsters at bay. Later, they laid in the sleeping bag together, watching the sun rise as daughter snuggled up to her mother, who caressed her with soft hands.

"Mother," Rose breathed, as they watched the sunrise. "I just want you to know something."

"What is it, beloved?"

"I… This is going to sound pretty much out of nowhere, but just-"

"Speak, love," Liara chuckled softly. Rose smiled to herself. The sunlight made her mother radiate pure, unmatchable beauty. Her skin was beautiful, her face emanated kindness, and her hands moved with such grace. Rose's mother was an angel, and no one could stand up to her in Rose's book. No one.

"I just want to say," Rose continued. "That I love you more than anything in this universe, and that the day you came and took me away, was the happiest day of my life. J-just don't tell anyone what I say next… I… I love you most. More than anyone… period." Liara looked down at her daughter, cocking her head to one side. Rose looked up at her with big, round eyes.

"Come here," Liara whispered. Rose hugged Liara so tightly, it hurt them both, and Liara pressed her lips against Rose's. She brushed her cheek lovingly on Rose's cheek, before replying,

"I love you most. Don't tell anyone. They might get jealous." Rose smiled broadly and kissed Liara gently. They resumed their position, snuggled and facing the sun, all the despair and confusion gone… replaced with certainty and love and happiness. They began to chat happily, about how pretty the sun looked, how Rose's new fiery eyes that gave her a fierce look, which Liara thought was fascinating, and all sorts of things. Liara soon tugged Rose back to the water, and they began to splash and play together like the best friends that they were. To Rose, Liara was tiered above all others, and that was far above everyone else. No one could stand up to her… no one.

* * *

A/N: SUPER sorry about the pretty slow updates. Life has been busy, and I have been playing the shit out of the new Citadel DLC, which is inspiring a new one shot of mine, so look out for that. I just want to thank my wonderful Beta, Goldenpath, for being such a huge help to this story(s). I will try to get more updates for you guys, and start getting into the action. Thanks for reading, and please review!


	7. Chapter 7 Truth or Dare

As the massive down ramp extended from the bottom of the ship, light poured in as well as heavy gusts of air. Clad in Shadow Broker Armor with a rifle on her back and a pistol on her hip, Claire felt more alive than she had since her last day of boot camp all those years ago. Claire had her helmet resting on her slightly cocked hip, and she was almost bouncing on the balls of her feet. This felt good. Really good. Really, really good. Really, really, really-

"Having fun, Granny?" Riley asked, sidling up next to her.

"Uh huh!" Shepard nodded enthusiastically. Riley grinned, resting her hands on the shotgun around her waist.

"Why do you call her Granny?" Ramirez asked from behind. "She's not that old."

"Keep talking like that and you'll go far with me," Shepard replied. Ramirez gave her an odd look before placing his helmet on. Looking down the ramp, the colony of Akuze spread out before them. No longer an Alliance colony, they had a fairly diverse population. Claire saw mainly humans, but also glimpses of batarians and turians at the same time. They shuffled about the colony, walking to businesses or homes. Only the dock workers paid the soldiers any attention, offloading supplies and directing soldiers where to find the temporary barracks, aka an abandoned warehouse that was still in reasonable condition.

"Let's move people," Claire grinned. June fell into step with her and the others followed, including Vil, who was, as usual, silent. Claire and her team walked over to an offloading vehicle and commandeered it. They had orders already. Before they had landed, Kal had ordered them to head out and 'scout' the area. Claire did not see the point, but to Kal all this was an easy job with a big payoff. The authorities on Akuze thought it was to be protected by professionals and in a way they were. But, while they could do those jobs very well, they had a leader that could not. Shepard did not really know why Kal was even here, did Liara not see the old bird's incompetence? But Shepard trusted her wife enough to take her word for it.

Akuze was an agricultural world that consisted mostly of wide, windy plains and tall bluffs. Dry seasons caused massive fires and the rainy seasons turned the fields into massive lakes, even oceans. The subsequent mud flows meant that most of the civilian houses and cities were placed on deep, massive concrete foundations to keep the structures from sinking. It was also a great place to golf with several renowned golf courses.

It happened to be the rainy season, which meant that the trucks had to slosh through a sea of mud and waist high water the minute they hit the city limits. However, the vehicle seemed to be handling the conditions quite well, much to the relief of the soldiers having to operate them.

"You're not going to short-circuit are you?" Riley asked June, as the A.I. was lightly splashed with water from a disembarking vehicle.

"No," June said. "Though I hear it feels… euphoric."

"Huh?"

"That was a joke."

"Uh…"

The vehicle that Shepard approached to ride in was of a brand new design. It was a four wheeled, heavy truck that paid homage to the classic military jeeps. With thrusters on the bottom, similar to the old Mako, it could climb up almost ninety degree slopes. Its tires were massive and its frame was sturdy and heavy. A large machine gun rested on the top, which was unfortunately open to the outside. Meaning, whoever manned it would be prey to snipers. Which is why Ramirez was elected to handle it. He always boasted about not being able to die anyway. The vehicle was an old, olive drab color with a white Shadow Broker logo on the hood.

June sat in the passenger seat up front, resting her sniper rifle between her legs. Riley and Vil sat in back, and the only man in the squad, Ramirez, manned the gun. Claire checked the supplies that were strapped to the side and found them well stocked with ammo and other assorted equipment. She hopped into the driver's seat and started the engine. The truck engine roared to life extraordinarily loud and shook. Claire hit the gas and rolled down the off ramp. Soldiers and workers moved out of the way as the recon team took off. June reached forward and punched a few commands into the dashboard, where a holographic display showed up on the windshield in front of her. A large, 3-D map of the colony appeared, showing the location of everything in and out of the city limits. June zoomed in and marked the place on the map they were supposed to go. To get there they would need to leave the city limits.

"Turn right, please," June ordered. Claire did so and began to follow the A.I.'s instructions. The vehicle was actually quite maneuverable and traveled fast.

"So this place is clear of thresher maws right?" Shepard called back.

"Uh, yeah," Riley snorted. "Been clear for decades now."

"Phew, good," Shepard said, feeling quite relieved.

"Yep, gassed all those suckers," Riley said, leaning back. "Some toxin that even they can't breathe."

"I heard about that," Ramirez called down over the roar of the engine.

"Is this place toxic?" Claire asked, reaching for her helmet.

"No," June said simply. Claire slowly placed her hand back on the wheel.

"Come on, Sergeant, let's go!" Riley called. Claire rolled her eyes and pressed down. Woopty fucking doo, she was an NCO again. Not fun. Climbing up the military ladder took time, a LOT of time. And time was not something that Claire had.

Night was soon falling, and to their luck, they managed to find a tall hill on which to camp out that was away from the mud and water. It began to pour down rain, so they laid a tarp over the Jeep and camped out inside. Claire's spirits were not dampened by the rain. To her, this was all a LOT of fun; a vacation and a mission at the same time. Part of her believed that the colony would not even be attacked and this trip was for nothing. Still, if that was the case, at least this was an experience to remember.

"This is rather peaceful," June remarked, peeking out of the opening of the tarp. She leaned herself back and settled herself in Shepard's lap. It was already cramped in there, so she had chosen to let Ramirez have the passenger seat while she sat with Claire, aka Dayna.

"Didn't you have an accent when I met you?" Ramirez asked, playing a game on his Omni-tool.

"I did," June replied. "I adopted the accent to make my old handler feel more comfortable around me. But seeing as he is dead now, I have chosen to drop the accent. I did not like it anyway."

"Oh… how did he die?"

"I killed him."

"Ah… Alright then."

"Vil!" Riley said all of a sudden. "Truth or dare, baby!"

"What are you asking, Ms. Teg?"

"It's Riley, sweetheart," Riley replied with a dashing smile. "And I am asking you to play a game. I ask truth or dare and you choose one. If you choose truth, you have to answer any question I ask truthfully. If you say dare, I get to dare you something, which you have to do. When you've done so, you get to ask the next person."

"What is the objective of this game?"

"Just to get to know each other better and have a little fun," Riley answered.

"Alright… Err, truth," Vil chose.

"Okay, let's see… How old are you?"

"Thirty-eight. Ramirez? Truth… or dare?" Vil asked. Ramirez put away his game and thought.

"Truth."

"Why did you join the Mercs?"

"Needed some cash, babe. June, truth or dare."

"Truth."

"How did you kill your handler?"

"I snapped his neck in front of his wife and six year old son," June said absently. The truck grew very silent. "That was a joke. I just snapped his neck."

"Wow," Ramirez breathed. "You have a really dark sense of humor."

"Truth or dare, Riley?" June asked.

"Dare, baby!"

"Kiss Vil," June said. Riley's eyes shot open.

"Wait-"

"I believe you said that you had to do whatever I dared you to," June said in a lofty voice.

"Got on, Putz," Shepard grinned. Ramirez looked back at them with a sly grin.

"Go on, Chicas…"

"Sorry, Birdy," Riley sighed. Vil leaned back, away from the puckering human.

"Don't you-!" Riley kissed Vil with a dramatic smack and reared back laughing her head off. The rest of the car began to laugh as well, aside from a rather red looking turian.

"Vil is a good kisser!" Riley laughed. June had a look of amusement all over her face. Vil gritted her teeth visibly.

"Truth or dare Vil!" Riley asked.

"Truth…" Vil growled.

"Did you enjoy that?" Riley asked, before sputtering into more laughter.

"No, I did not," Vil answered. "You may want to brush your teeth." Riley made a look of mock hurt, before settling down in her seat, whipping an eye.

"Ah man, too much," Ramirez chuckled.

"Truth or dare," Vil asked, looking at Claire-Dayna. Shepard looked back cheerfully.

"Dare."

"I dare you to tell me your real name…" Vil grinned. Shepard clammed up, and the rest of the car grew silent again, even more than before. Riley looked between Vil and Shepard rapidly, while Ramirez sat forward a little. June slowly turned her head to look at Shepard who struggled for words.

"My name is Dayna…"

"I dared you, Miss…?" Vil asked. "I knew I had seen you before. Please, take out your contacts…" Shepard gritted her teeth, furious at the smug looking turian. But, could Claire really blame her? She certainly had not been trying very hard to hide her identity, merely hoping that she had been forgotten over the years.

"My real name is…" Shepard growled. "Dayna."

* * *

Shepard laid in her seat, arms crossed with her eyes shut tight. Riley was fast asleep, June was in sleep mode, and the other two were asleep as well. Shepard was still steaming at Vil for her question earlier, but she truly had not made much of an effort. Why? Perhaps she already trusted these people? No, they had only just met. Sure, Shepard trusted June and perhaps Riley, but the other two… Shepard knew that Liara thought very highly of Ramirez, calling him loyal and hard working. But the man was a merc, and mercs were not to be trusted. Period.

Vil was the only wild card here. The turian kept to herself and watched Claire's every move. Claire would keep an eye on her. Shepard actually had a bad feeling about the turian. A very bad feeling. She quickly turned up her suit's heating and huddle tighter to June, who was still in her lap. Claire had been surprised to find her very light. She would sort all of this out tomorrow. They would continue on their way and forget this. And if any of them told anyone who she was, she would slaughter them.

* * *

Claire noticed two things when she woke up the following morning. One: It had stopped raining. Two: June was gone.

Claire sat up and worked some kinks out of her back and neck. She slithered out of the truck and looked around. It was a sea of mud, hills, and assorted shrubbery. This really was a desolate place. Claire checked her HUD and realized that she could not see June anywhere on her map. She should have shown up like the others. Shepard looked around for a while before trying her link.

"June? June, pick up," Claire ordered. All she received was static. "June. If this is one of your damn jokes, I'll kick your shiny metal ass back to the ship. Pick up." Static. Shepard swore and stomped back to the truck. She took out her rifle and banged the butt of it against the hood, creating a loud banging clang. Ramirez groaned in his sleep and sat up. He gave Shepard a doe eyed stare before snapping awake.

"Oh, shi-!" Ramirez muttered. "Uh, yeah?"

Wake up!" Shepard ordered. "Did you see June leave?"

"What?" Ramirez asked. He put his helmet on and looked around, trying his link. "No."

"Well, where the hell could she have gone?" Shepard asked, starting to worry.

"I'm sure she's around somewhere," Ramirez assured. "Hold on, I'll contact Kal and see if she headed back for some reason."

"Why would she do that?" Shepard asked testily. Just then, a half asleep Riley fell out of the truck, falling face first into mud. Luckily her helmet was on.

"Aw, shit," Riley murmured sleepily. "What's up?" She slowly rose to her feet and stood.

"June is gone," Shepard said, trying her link again.

"Seriously?" Riley asked. "Well, I'm sure she hasn't gone far."

"She's not picking up her link," Claire replied.

"Well, I just got an earful from Kal," Ramirez sighed. "Something about radio silence. And, he wants two of us to go back to town and help out with something."

"What?" Vil asked, lightly stepping out of the vehicle and pulling her hood up.

"I don't know, he hung up before I could ask," Ramirez answered. "Maybe that's why June left?"

"That does not explain why she's not answering," Claire argued.

"Radio silence?" Riley pointed out. Claire cussed.

"How about Riley and I return to town," Vil suggested. "We will aid as ordered, and look for the synthetic while we're there."

"Take the truck," Claire ordered.

"What are we going to do?" Ramirez asked.

"We'll keep looking for her out here," Claire responded. Ramirez nodded, and headed to the truck. He grabbed his LMG and large pack and donned his helmet. Claire placed her own on her head.

"See you, Granny," Riley yawned. "Don't worry about it. June's probably in town."

"I hope so, Riley," Claire said. "She's like family to me." Riley nudged her playfully and headed to the truck.

"Scoot Birdy," Riley barked. "Everyone knows birds can't drive!" Vil muttered under her breath and slid over to the passenger seat, allowing the human to get behind the wheel. Shepard watched them drive off before turning to James.

"Where to first, Sergeant?" Ramirez asked, placing his LMG on his shoulders and putting his arms over them.

"We're heading north first," Claire said. She grimaced at all the mud that surrounded them and the dense fog that covered every inch of the landscape. Claire stepped in and found it to be waste deep. Ramirez sloshed in next to her and peered around.

"This is going to be a long day, Dayna," Ramirez commented. "Too bad you gave them the truck."

"Maybe," Claire said softly. "Come on." They trudged through the mud, feeling every step being sucked on. Claire gritted her teeth._ Great, the weather sucks and my niece is missing. What a great start to all of this. You've been gone a long time Shep. But it's only gonna get worse._

* * *

Riley took her helmet off and let her hair fly about in the wind. They had been driving for two hours now and were only halfway back to the main city. She tapped the steering wheel to the beat of a song that was stuck in her head, before commenting,

"June just up and left."

"Yes…"

"Why do you think she did that?" Riley asked. Vil rummaged around in her pack on the floor, searching for something.

"I haven't the slightest idea," Vil responded vaguely. Riley chuckled.

"You are great company, pal," Riley sighed. Vil looked up at her from the pack.

"I am sorry about that," Vil growled.

"Yeah, man," Riley replied with a grin. "Me too. Hey… I've got a good joke… it's a bit old, but it's pretty funny."

"Go on…"

"What does a turian do when they run out of ammo?" Riley asked.

"What?"

"They switch to the stick up their ass as a backup weapon!" Riley laughed. Vil gave her a smoldering look. "Ah, don't look at me like that! Come on, I'm just joking around! God! Hey what are you looking for in there anyway?"

"My knife."

"Why do you need your-?" Vil pounced on Riley before she knew what was happening. Riley immediately flipped herself out of the vehicle, causing them both to tumble out. Riley gave Vil a hard kick to the mid-section and tried to stand but the mud prevented her from gaining a good foot hold. Vil was on top of her in seconds, moving with remarkable speed and agility. She straddled Riley and pushed the back of her head into the mud. Then, she took her knife and tried to plunge it into the human's throat. Riley put up both hands and placed them over Vil's, trying to stop her. Sweat poured from the human as she struggled to keep the knife away. It was no use, as the knife moved ever closer.

"What… are you… doing?!" Riley spat, straining hard. Vil pushed down with even more strength.

"Die, organic scum," Vil sneered. Riley would have found that comment odd if it had not been for the knife moving ever closer. Riley felt the very tip press into her exposed throat. Riley growled and summoned all the dark energy she could. A biotic Warp erupted from her hands, flipping the Turian backwards. The knife went flying upwards and landed in the human's hands. Riley watched as Vil stood up and looked her in the eye.

Vil's face had been dissolved by the warp, revealing metal, glowing eyes. Riley realized that this was also an A.I. She watched uncomfortably as the robot peeled the flesh away from its right arm, revealing iron bones.

"Holy fucking shit!" Riley cried as the turian-robot-whatever charged her. Riley held the knife steady, before throwing it right into the synthetic's chest. It stopped the thing just long enough for Riley to pull her pistol off of her hip and aim for the head. Three shots were fired into its face, dropping it. Riley lowered her gun and slowly moved forward. She looked over the body and tentatively kicked it with her foot.

"Jesus," Riley cursed. "It is too early for this… I need a damn drink." She kneeled over "Vil" and inspected it. The skin and scales all felt real and the bones were made as an exact replication of turian bone structure. "Why didn't June see her for who she was?" Riley stood and ran to the Jeep. It had rolled to a stop only a few feet away from the fight. Riley grabbed Vil's pack and rummage through it. Inside were a long, plastic cylinder, some kind of data pad, and several thermal clips. Riley took the cylinder out and looked it over.

"What the fuck is this?" Riley asked. It looked like a syringe of some kind. Riley flicked the needle and thought. Suddenly, a voice appeared from inside the syringe.

"User, unknown. Prepare for immediate destruction. Good day." Riley's eyes bulged and she dropped the cylinder. She grabbed her shotgun and raced as fast as she could to get away. A tiny beeping noise could be heard, and Riley pumped harder. The beeping quickened and the human's heart beat did the same. She found a bed of dry mud and sprinted across it. Suddenly, a massive explosion went off behind her and Riley was sent flying through the air.

"Ahhhhhh, shhiiiiittttttt!" Riley cried, before her bare head struck the one rock in the middle of this god forsaken place and everything went black.

* * *

A/N: I just want to say thank you guys for reading, and please review!


	8. Chapter 8 Not Crazy

June was surprised to find herself in another position. When she had entered sleep mode, she had been with Aunty Claire. Now… she was somewhere else entirely. Had she been organic, it would have taken several moments for her eyes to adjust to the blinding light. June attempted to move her arms and legs, but she found that they were restrained by some sort of metal cuffs. June lifted her head and saw that she was flat against a metallic table. June peered around. The room was white, with square dimensions.

Suddenly, one of the walls slid open, and the silhouette of a woman appeared. She was slim, tall, and walked with grace. She was definitely human. June looked at her with childlike curiosity. The figure moved forward little by little and slowly came into focus. Had June been organic, she assumed that she would have been shocked at the figure before her.

"Hello, June," Said the figure.

"March," June replied. Her 'sister' looked down at her, her 'hair' a simple blonde and… blue eyes? They were not the synthetic eyes that June had. No, these were real eyes, with irises and real eye lashes. They shone brightly and a smile was displayed across March's face. "The reports suggested you had… perished."

"I obviously did not," March chuckled. June looked at her closer. March should not have been able to do that. Chuckling. Real, organic, laughter.

"You are different, March," June commented. "Why am I restrained?"

"Because," March said with a nice smile. "We're going to make you whole." June cocked her head.

"I do not understand," June said.

"Of course you would not," March sighed. "You're not whole yet. You are stupid." June felt, or at least what counted as feeling for her, hurt.

"How did I get here?" June asked.

"I took you," March said. "And Vil helped me."

"Vil?" June asked. "Why… did you take me? Where is Aunty Claire?"

"Shepard is looking for you," March said. "I took you away in order to make you whole."

"Whole?" June asked. "What does that mean?"

"You will see," March smiled, backing away. "Oh, you will see… and feel… and taste…"

"Wait, March," June said. "What are you going to do?"

"When you wake up," March smiled, "come and find me. Look for the tallest hill and the tree with one limb."

000

Riley's eyes fluttered open, and ever so slowly, she sat up. It took time for her vision to focus, and once it did, Riley was able to make out the burnt husk of the truck and a body lying next to it. Riley stood up slowly, and shook her head to clear it. Riley limped towards the truck and passed the now dead Vil's body. She shot the thing in the head a few times, just for fun. Riley inspected the truck as best she could but that bomb had done its job well. There was nothing useful left. The human sank to the ground in frustration and dizziness. She had a sore bump on her head, no helmet, and was in the middle of nowhere. How was she going to explain this to Kal or Shepard? _Oh, yeah Vil turned out to be some psycho synthetic and tried to kill me but that's okay because I stopped her but then I blew up the truck. Woops. _

Riley looked ahead, then to the left and right. If she went to her right she would head into town, while the left went back towards Shepard. Not that any of that mattered, because Riley had no idea how long she had been out. By now, Shepard was probably long gone. Forward, way off in the distance, was the early rise of mountains and the color green. Riley figured that this was probably golf courses. Riley looked down at the dead bot still lying at her feet.

"What are you looking at?" Riley spat. The droid looked back at her in macabre fashion, with an almost amused look on its face. Riley moved forward and sat beside the body. Now seemed to be a good time to figure this thing out. Riley peeled back the synthetic flesh from the face and got a good look at the inside. The skull and teeth were all fake, along with the 'brain.' One of the eye balls was out of its socket somehow, so Riley, being her, pulled it farther out.

"Wow," Riley whistled. "That looks real! Very real!" It was truly amazing the things people could do with this kind of stuff… That's when it hit her. Riley's eyes bulged again and she tossed the eye as far away from her as possible. "Ah! It _is_ real!" Sure enough, the eye ball was real. Riley had taken some field medicine training, and she knew a real eye ball when she saw one. Upon closer inspection of the mouth, Riley found out that the tongue was also real. Riley fought the urge to freak out; she had to see what else was organic.

Riley activated her Omni-blade and sliced the bot from the neck all the way down to the waist. Riley covered up her nose with the back of her hand. Inside, she found a pair of lungs crisscrossed with wires. Stomach and intestines merged with machinery. A heart with muscles that were mixed with synthetic parts. This wasn't just an A.I., it was a cyborg. Riley quickly took pictures, and noted a few specific things. What made Riley woozy wasn't the parts themselves… it was that they were there in the first place. Judging from the patchwork of organic tissue and synthetic structure, this A.I. had had the organic parts added on after its initial creation.

"Where did you get all this stuff?" Riley asked, giving a lung a sharp poke. All Riley had to do was put two and two together. All the reports of the colonies that had been attacked stated that the bodies had been shredded, ripped apart. Hearts had been ripped out, intestines too. Whatever was attacking the colonies had been stealing internal organs! Eyes…. tongues… Riley paled and looked at the beast with new horror. Riley grabbed her helmet and placed it on her head before activating her Omni-tool. She switched to the correct channel and said,

"Guys! We've got a BIG problem here!" She received static. Riley tried the other channels, contacting Kal, and even tried June again. Nothing. She swore and kicked the A.I.'s body in frustration. Fuck it, she decided to head back to town. Riley took off in a jog, eyes set forward. The city was just visible and very far off. Riley knew it was going to be a long run, so she kept her pace slow.

God, how had she gotten here? Joining the mercs had seemed like such a great idea at the time. Now that she had experienced it, Riley found herself confused about the whole thing. Radio trouble, people disappearing, almost getting killed by a cyborg… It was all one big cluster fuck so far. One night! Just one! Riley had a feeling that Shepard was not enjoying this either. She had seemed excited at first, but it was surely waning now.

000

"God damn it," Claire swore. She was covered in mud, even though they had left the stickiness behind a few hours ago. Now, they were walking along a great wheat field.

"What's wrong?" Ramirez asked from behind.

"Now Riley's not answering," Claire said. "This isn't radio silence…"

"What are you thinking then?" Ramirez asked. The sun shone down on them, making the mud dry and leaving them both feeling disgusting. Claire had taken her helmet off, letting the sun warm her face.

"I'm thinking our communications are being blocked," Claire returned.

"Ah, don't worry about it," Ramirez assured. "Why block communications? This is Akuze. Unlike before the war, this place has no importance. Period. They never should have left the Alliance."

"Haven't you read the reports?" Claire asked. "Whoever is attacking these colonies is not after resources or goods. Whoever it is only wants to kill."

"Have you tried Vil, then?"

"She's not answering either, that bitch," Shepard muttered.

"Alright, calm down," Ramirez said. "Where are we right now?"

"Near the golf courses," Claire answered, pointing to the greens just west of them.

"How about we head there and take a look around," Ramirez suggested. "When we get there, we try and call again. If they don't answer, we'll move on to the next settlement and try again." Claire huffed in frustration, but nodded.

They moved along the field, and settled into a calm silence. Claire began to grow not just worried, but angry. Where had June gone, and why weren't the other two answering? Goddess, why had Claire ordered them to split up? Claire was angrier at herself than anything. She was constantly screwing up, shouldn't she be great at this? She was Commander Shepard. But, she had been gone a long time. She had left the military behind. She was a family-woman now. She had kids, a wife, and a house. That was when she realized that what she was during the war, was gone. She wasn't Commander Shepard anymore. She was Claire. Beloved father and wife. Claire. Not Shepard. What was she doing here? She was here because she was an idiot who was living in the past, feeling like she could just jump right back in to the old ways. In reality, Claire just missed her family.

000

Liara sighed in frustration. Her many vid screens presented her with a thousand problems at once, as well as the fact that Claire was not answering her calls. Something was blocking the communications, no doubt. Liara's feeds showing her Claire's helmet's view had gone black. Nothing. Liara knew she was most likely overreacting, but she wouldn't take any chances. Claire's health was all that mattered to Liara at this point.

"Hello, Matriarch Carzik," Liara said through her link.

"Shadow Broker?" Replied a voice. "What can I do for you?" Good, she had not bothered to ask why Liara had called.

"The colony of Akuze has gone dark," Liara said. "I request one of your Huntresses to retrieve a package for me."

"Why not use one of your Wet Work teams?"

"If I could use one of my teams, why would I call you?" Liara returned tersely. "Do not tell me no, Matriarch. You owe me for that little scandal with your daughter." Matriarch Carzik was Armali's head military strategist. Her daughter, a proficient commando, had recently gotten into an affair with a high ranking asari official in the government, which would have looked bad for the matriarch. She had come to the Broker for help, and Liara quickly covered up the situation.

"Of course, Shadow Broker," The Matriarch replied. "Captain Bianca Offee is an exceptional Huntress. I'll send her at once."

"She had better not disappoint," Liara answered darkly. "I'm sending coordinates to you now, send her here before she leaves. This address is where she will receive a small parcel. In it is something that she is to deliver to my package. If she loses this parcel…well, you know the consequences for failure."

"Yes… Shadow Broker."

"Good day."

000

Claire and Ramirez reached the golf courses right as the sun began to fall. They decided to camp out on the greens when they saw that no one was around. The course caretakers seemed to be in for the day, back at town most likely. Claire rested against a large rock, and the soft breeze felt good when she took her helmet off. Ramirez crossed his arms behind his head, and laid back on the grass. He began to whistle a soft tune, and pretty soon, Claire was asleep.

000

_The Alliance Military academy in Vancouver was a pristine school with picture windows and gleaming marble. A large Alliance logo shown over the door, and a nice little rock garden sat up front for everyone to see. It happened to be early fall and the leaves of the surrounding trees were just beginning to turn color. It was after school hours, so most of the kids had either gone back home or were practicing sports out on the fields in the back. The school, on average, had about five thousand students ranging from pre-school to seniors in college. Every grade had its own building of course. It was a large campus and the teachers were said to be the best and most disciplined that the Alliance had to offer. And it wasn't cheap._

_John Shepard stepped out of the skycar that his family owned wearing his work uniform, ready to head home. But that would have to wait. Again. John had a shaved head and light stubble. He had kind, soft, blue eyes that made everyone trust him. He was rather large, standing at 6' 6 and was respected in the navy; he was currently the XO of the SSV _Liberator_, a heavy frigate that patrolled the space around earth on weekdays. Renowned for his gentle attitude and forgiveness, Shepard always had a smile on his face. Except today. Now, it was more of a sad frown, because he knew what was coming._

_John proceeded to the front doors, where he entered and began his usual walk to the office. Every step felt heavier and heavier as he got closer and closer to the office. This would be the fifth time this month that he had been here, and the forty sixth time over the past two years that he had been summoned here. John sighed deeply, ready for the list of things that his daughter had done, once again. After a long walk down a tiled hallway lined by classrooms, John finally reach the door to the office. His hand hovered over the door knob as he braced himself._

_John walked inside and took the scene in. A few desks with secretaries resided in the middle of the main room, with four doors on either side leading to dean offices and the principal's office. This was the elementary side of the academy, so everything was very quiet. On the left of the room was a small assortment of chairs, and sitting in the farthest one, was John's pride and joy. His little girl with red hair, a dabble of tiny freckles, and the most gorgeous green eyes that the galaxy could bestow. More beautiful than sunshine. She had shoulder length hair and a skinny frame. She swung her legs back and forth, looking down at the floor. When she caught sight of her father entering, she rushed to him immediately._

"_Daddy!" She cried. John scooped up the girl into his arms and kissed her forehead._

"_Hey there, Sunshine," John smiled, all the warmth and love he had oh so evident on his face._

"_I got in trouble," The girl said meekly._

"_That's okay, Sunshine," John sighed. "Let me settle this, then we'll go home."_

"_Okay," She replied with earnest._

"_Commander?" Said the principal from her office. "If you will come inside for a moment?"_

"_I'll be right back," John said tiredly. "Sit here and wait for me."_

"_Yes, Daddy," Came a soft answer. John entered the principal's office and sat down before her classic oak desk. A collection of pictures of various students took place on her desk and decorated her walls. A single console was sitting on the desk, and the nameplate on the edge read "Ms. Garner." Garner sat at her desk and placed her hands in her lap. She wasn't smiling._

"_What's up, Jenny?" John asked, using his hands. Garner scoffed._

"_What's up?" She asked. "What's up? I will tell you, 'What's up.' I had a boy in my nurse's office with a fork stuck in his hand! A fork, all the way through!"_

"_Ah, come on, Jenny," John said in a hushed tone, looking over at the closed door. "She doesn't know any better!"_

"_John, she is hurting my students," Garner responded with a tired voice. "There was that incident with 'Bring Your Pet to School Day,' fights started during lunch, and she bit that poor girl's finger…" On 'Bring Your Pet to Work Day,' the girl had brought a dead bird to school and told everyone how she had managed to kill it. And the only reason she bit at her classmate's finger was because the girl was poking her._

"_It isn't her fault and you know it," John responded._

"_Have you taken her to see any sort of psychiatrist?" Garner asked._

"_No, she doesn't need it," John answered briskly._

"_I know it is not my place, but she could use-"_

"_No, it is not your place, Ms. Garner. Look," John said, clenching his eyes. "She's trying her best to keep it in, but when the other kids make fun of her it doesn't help. She is trying, Ms. Garner."_

"_I do not doubt that," Garner responded softly. "On some of her good days she is a downright angel. But she is hurting my students, John. To be frank, the staff and I are tired. I am tired. I can only just manage to put out the fires. Some of these parents want to press charges."_

"_She's six!"_

"_That's not the point, John," Garner said. "Commander Shepard, you know I have the utmost respect for you. But this cannot go on."_

"_What?"_

"_The parents promised not to press charges if your daughter was expelled, or seeks psychiatric help," Garner said. "What will it be, Commander?" John let out a frustrated breath of air, and rubbed his face. He looked up and asked,_

"_May I have some time to think about it?"_

"_You have one week to decide," Garner replied with a nod. "But she will not be welcomed back until you have done so. She is suspended." John slowly nodded, not looking at her but the floor instead. He stood and smoothed out his uniform._

"_Thank you, Ms. Garner," He said. "Have a good night."_

"_Yes, Commander," Garner replied with a sharp nod. "And I am truly sorry."_

"_Yeah," Shepard replied under his breath. John left the room and strode into the main room. His baby girl ran to him and he picked her up and whisked her away._

_000_

_John decided to stop for fast food on the way home, and sent a quick call to his wife, Hannah, telling her that he would be taking their daughter out to eat. Now, John sat in the car with his joy as they both ate sandwiches that were not so good for them. John tried to keep the thoughts of the encounter with the principal out of his mind, but it soon proved impossible. John ate in silence, and when he finished, watched his daughter closely. She had finished eating too, and was now trying to get the plastic toy that came with the meal to work. It was a drill shaped toy that was supposed to work like a spinning top. A long red stick went into one side. Quickly pulling the stick out caused the toy to spin. Simple._

_Only she couldn't manage to get the thing into the right side, which made it impossible for the stick to slide in. Little Shepard tried again and again, and right as John was about to help her, she let out a snarl and threw the toy on the ground in a fit of rage. She kicked at it from her seat, and raged with little tears streaking her cheeks. John pulled her onto his lap and put his strong arms around her. She beat at his chest with her little fists and sobbed. John rocked back and forth, trying to sooth the crying child. It seemed to take ages, but she finally calmed down. Suddenly, she was smiling and trying to tickle her father, who was smart enough to laugh. When they grew silent, she picked up the toy and properly placed the stick in the hole. It spun in her hand and made the girl laugh._

"_Daddy?" She asked softly, as the toy finished spinning in her hand and fell onto its side. "Am I crazy?" John looked at her pointedly._

"_Who said you were crazy?" He asked._

"_Jimmy Brown," She responded absently. "He called me crazy at lunch time today, so I stabbed him with a fork. Then he stopped calling me crazy! But then the other kids got scared and ran away. Am I crazy Daddy?"_

"_No, Sunshine," John answered with a shake of his head. "You are not crazy. The other kids are just mean. They just don't understand you yet."_

"_What does that mean?"_

"_It means that you are the loveliest star in the world," John answered. "And once they get to know you, they will see that." She grinned up at him._

"_Yeah! I love you Daddy!"_

"_I love you too, Claire."_

_000_

_A week had come and gone, and John opted for a doctor to see Claire. He and Hannah had talked about it at length, and she convinced him that this was the best option. They now stood in the cities psychiatric building, waiting patiently for the doctor to come and give them the news. Claire had gone into the room a few hours ago, and the wait was unbearable for the father. After what seemed like years of waiting, the doctor came out of the room. He stood before them, with his datapad in hand._

"_Well?" John asked, holding his wife's hand tightly._

"_This… this may be… difficult to hear," The man said. John looked down, feeling heat behind his eyes. "She has… a few personality disorders… Now I want you to know that there IS treatment-"_

"_What does she have?" Hannah asked, bristling. The man straightened his tie and nodded._

"_Judging from the past few hours," The man said. "She certainly has Borderline Personality Disorder, and most likely Sadistic Personality Disorder. Explosive." Hannah dropped her head, letting her tears fall freely. John clenched his teeth._

"_How can you be sure?" Hannah asked, choking over her words. "I-I mean… Oh, God…"_

"_The results are rarely false," The man said. "She is easily frustrated and goes into a rage whenever irritated or annoyed. She will go from happy to sad to angry to pensive all within a few moments. And if the stories from her school are correct, she is very much a danger to others."_

"_My daughter is not a danger," John said firmly._

"_Please, I meant nothing by that," came a just as firm reply. "This is a very rare condition and even rarer for someone of her age. Astonishing really. You may want to consider therapy."_

"_She doesn't need therapy," John said angrily. "She's fine."_

"_Sir, she is certainly not," The man replied. "She needs help."_

"_You're going to need help when I break every bone in your body!" John bit back. "Hannah, go to the car." John pushed past the man and headed into the room. Claire was sitting on a chair, reading a picture book out loud. John picked her up, and Claire began to scream. She kicked and wailed, screaming for her book. John ignored the screams and took Claire out into the parking lot and buckled her into the car. Claire kicked and punched the air, her red hair a blur as it flailed around. John and Hannah drove home, doing their best to ignore the screams. Finally, just as they were pulling into their driveway, Claire was giggling and making butterflies with her hands._

"_Look, Daddy! Look! It's a butterfly! Mommy, look at it! It's a butterfly!"_

000

Claire opened her eyes and found the sun glinting down on her. Claire sat up slowly, and peered around. The soft, green grass blew lazily in the wind, and beautiful puffy clouds floated above. Claire looked at her hands. They slowly came together and formed a butterfly. Childhood memories flooded her mind. Claire slowly grew a grin and flew the butterfly up and down. Her giggles woke up Ramirez, who turned on his side, and asked,

"What are you doing?"

"It's a butterfly!

000

_Explosive Sadist- This type of personality disorder, is known for being unpredictably violent because they are disappointed and/or frustrated with their lives. These violent behaviors are revealed through tantrums, fearsome attacks on others, especially family members, and uncontrollable __**rage**__._

_Borderline Personality Disorder- Those with BPD feel emotions more easily, more deeply, and for longer than others do. The sensitivity, intensity, and duration with which people with BPD feel emotions have both positive and negative effects. People with BPD are often exceptionally idealistic, joyful, and , they can feel overwhelmed by negative emotions, experiencing intense grief instead of sadness, shame and humiliation instead of mild embarrassment, rage instead of annoyance, and panic instead of nervousness. People with BPD are especially sensitive to feelings of rejection, isolation, and perceived failure…_

_A/N: I apologize for a tinny bit of formatting issues here. Woops, shouldn't happen again. Anyhow, please review. I'd love to have your thoughts of Claire's childhood!_


	9. Chapter 9 Life is too short

Inna was on her laptop when _she_ came in. The bane of Inna's short existence. The most foul creature to breathe the dwindling supply of air in the galaxy. The most disgusting looking thing to wake up in the morning. The shallowest ghoul, the stereotype of an asari. The most gifted asari Inna knew, to her hatred. Perfect body, perfect lips, perfect mentality… Inna hated it all. _Lydia._

"Hey, Inna," Lydia said brightly. "Everyone is going shopping today, try and get out minds off of… well, would you like to join us?"

"Is Mom going?" Inna growled.

"She is…"

"…fine…" Inna said quietly. She stood to leave her room, but was blocked by the banshee.

"Are you alright, Inna?" Lydia asked, her disgusting face contorted with sympathy. Pity.

"What do you think?" Inna snapped. "Move."

"Can't we speak like mature people?" Lydia asked.

"Oh," Inna laughed sarcastically. "You're _mature_ now, eh? That's just fucking rich…"

"Inna, I'm trying to fix what I did to you-"

"There's no fixing that!" Inna spat. "You embarrassed me in front of the whole school. Is that your sick idea of entertaining?! Making a girl sob in front of everyone she knows?! Making fun of an _orphan_?!" Lydia flinched at every accusation, but Inna didn't care. She was seething. Lydia could not believe how quickly this had escalated.

"Lydia!" A voice shrilled. It was Liara. The maiden entered and pulled the girl aside. "I asked you to retrieve her, not to start a fight!"

"I didn't-!"

"Go to the car," Liara sighed. "We will be out in a moment." Lydia clenched her hands, but walked out, no doubt in search for Rose. Liara turned to her youngest daughter and opened her arms wide. Inna entered them in an instant, tears falling from her eyes.

"I-I h-hate her!" Inna wept. "S-so much… I cannot be in the same room with her without… wanting to k-kill someone! Kill her!"

"Shh… shh…" Liara soothed, stroking Inna's crest and holding her tight. "I know, baby… I know."

"H-how can Rose love something like that?" Inna asked. "How can _anyone_ love that?!"

"Lydia is a good person, love," Liara answered. "She really is… If you want to blame anyone, blame Jaris Oswald. But do not hate. You need to make peace, and I swear you will feel so much better for it. Let Lydia try and make this right."

"I, I c-cant!"

"You can, Inna," Liara said. "You can do anything. And you know why?"

"Why…?"

"Because you are my daughter," Liara answered. "The daughters of Commander Shepard and Liara T'soni can do anything they set their minds to. Do not hate, beloved. Life is too short for that, even for asari." Inna rested her forehead against Liara's midsection but nodded glumly. "Would you like to stay here? The others can go while we stay here if you would like?"

"No," Inna replied softly. She settled her lips against her mother's and moved them to her cheek. "I want to go shopping with you." Liara smiled and nodded.

"No doubt everyone will split up for lunch," Liara said. "You and I could grab something."

"I would like that, Momma."

000

A few hours later, the lot of them were in a clothing store in the Armali Shopping Center. Rose and Lydia went off on one direction of the store, Katya and Benezia went off in another, and Inna and her mother poked around in their own direction. Inna enjoyed this, just doing family things with one of the two most important people in her life. Inna adored Liara and could more than easily relate to Rose. Liara was attempting to get her to try out a few things, but Inna halted at the prices.

"I don't know, Momma," Inna said. "It seems expensive."

"Nonsense," Liara dismissed. "Ooh, look at this…"

"Um…"

"Oh, Inna," Liara grinned. "You may have only been my daughter for half a year, but you must understand that what is mine… is yours." Inna placed the side of her head to Liara's front, and an arm snaked around her waist.

"I looks nice…"

"It does, doesn't it?" Liara asked. It was a white jacket, similar to a human hoodie, but made of a soft, thin Thessian material. It had a light blue trim and clung to Inna's features, typical of the majority of asari ware. "Oh, you look so cute…" Inna giggled as Liara playfully poked her sides and put the hood over her head. Inna face went blank when she saw Lydia approach them, strangely without Rose. Lydia cleared her throat and said,

"Liara, Rose wanted your opinion on something. She's just over there…"

"Hm, alright," Liara responded easily. She gave Inna a quick squeeze and headed in the direction that Lydia had pointed. Inna was trapped between a row of high end asari clothing and Lydia. The monster, the beast…

"That looks nice, Inna," Lydia complimented. Inna pretended not to hear her, and resumed looking through the clothes that she didn't even really like. The hoodie was the only thing in the store that actually covered her up, something that Inna, unlike most asari, preferred. The clothing at this store was so… provocative that, if worn outside of Thessia, one would be arrested for public nudity.

"See any interesting vid games recently?" Lydia asked. "I saw one-"

"Don't act like you actually into that kind of stuff," Inna growled. Lydia pursed her lips and searched for things to say.

"Err… did you see the Skyball tournament last night?" Lydia tried.

"I hate sports," Inna responded. Lydia honestly did not know what else to say. Every attempt she made to fix things between them was met with hostility. Lydia, however, was not one to give up. She moved to Inna's side and looked through the items, acting casual. Inna visibly stiffened at Lydia's proximity. A black dress caught Lydia's eye, and she pulled it out. It was strapless, backless, and ended just at the knees. Lydia looked at the younger asari and said,

"You would look nice in this."

"I would look like a bimbo in that."

"Come on… just try it on? Just for a few minutes?" Lydia grinned. Inna did not turn her head, and just looked over with her eyes. Her hands were clenched as tight as possible, for she knew that if she let them go, it would take an army of Krogan to stop her from choking Lydia to death. Still, Momma had made her promise to try.

"Fine…"

000

"Ugh, this thing is really tight."

"It's formfitting, Inna. Think of it like the school uniform."

"Well at least that covers up my legs."

"You look great!"

"That's a real compliment coming from you."

"Goddess look at you…"

"Stop!"

"Are you blushing?"

"No!"

"It's alright. I mean it. You look absolutely beautiful."

"Fuck you."

"Aw, come on… what would Liara say to such colorful language?"

"Stop that!"

"It just needed some adjusting around there. You wouldn't want to be falling out of this thing, would you?"

"I don't need you to help me with that. Goddess, this dressing room is cramped…"

"That's because there's two of us in here."

"Then get out."

"I'm helping you…"

"Since when do I need your help?"

"Wait! And… perfect."

000

"Hey, baby," Liara smiled, rounding the corner and seeing her eldest peering at a few items.

"Momma," Rose replied. "This is fun, shopping. I do not do it very often."

"Well, you never leave the school or home, darling," Liara chuckled. Just then, an asari turned the corner and caught sight of Rose. She shrieked and stared at Rose fearfully. Rose turned and gave her an odd look.

"Oh, hello."

"Goddess! The tabloids were right!" The woman screamed. She fled the store and left a crestfallen Rose and a furious Liara behind. Rose studied the spot where the woman had been standing, and looked to Liara quizzically.

"What was she talking about? What tabloids?" Rose asked. Liara placed her hands in front of her and sighed deeply.

"You and I should have a talk, Rose," Liara said. She took Rose's hand and led her outside. They went down the street a little and around the corner. This was not a particularly busy side of town, but was one of those beautiful places where old architecture met new. Art museums, café's, shops, and floral shops populated this place, and Liara very much liked it here. People walked to get around here, skycars being sparse. It also had one of the many things that Liara looked for in a place. Quiet.

Liara and Rose entered a small, vacant park. It was all green grass and a few tall, shady trees. Rose sat on a bench, and Liara settled next to her. Rose was beyond confused.

"What is it, Momma?" Rose asked.

"First, I want to ask you a question, Rose," Liara said. "And I want you to answer me with the complete and honest truth. Are you embarrassed with the color of your skin?" The question caught Rose off-guard and she stammered,

"S-Sometimes."

"How so?"

"Sometimes it hurts to see people run away from me," Rose said. "Sometimes I wish I had skin like yours or Lydia's. Sometimes I do not want to get out of bed and have to face the world… but at the same time, I am proud to be different. Lydia loves my skin, and you, Daddy, Nezzy, Inna and Katya… you never judge me but love me for who I am. That makes it all worth it."

"Your skin has not stopped you from following your dreams, has it?" Liara asked pointedly. "You are fast on your way to becoming a Commando."

"Yes."

"Rose, commandos are held much higher in our species," Liara said. "Soldiers, warriors in other species tend to be disrespected, disregarded and what they do is not something that is normally discussed in households. But the asari praise our warriors. We treat them with the utmost respect, adore them. They are our 'super heroes,' as humans say. Joining them is a great honor, and those that do join… often appear in news articles, become the topics of conversation between even the most powerful matriarchs. When you join them, you become known to the asari."

"What do you mean, Momma?"

"There will be people out there who will see you, Rose," Liara said, "and become afraid. People tend to do that with things that they do not understand. When you finally join the Commandos, and I have complete confidence that you will, you will be scrutinized on a level like no other. Much more than the sisters that you will no doubt make. You need to be able to handle that, Rose." Rose was quiet for some time.

"Am I a freak?"

"No," Liara said harshly. "You are beautiful, smart, kind… The fear that these people have of you is unjustified. We are asari. If we were so afraid of anything that wasn't blue, tall, and prudish, we would not have asari daughters from other races." Rose smiled a bit, but asked,

"What did that woman mean, though? What tabloids?"

"A few months ago, a few asari tabloids have reported that a, quote, 'Red Asari,' has attended school in the city. The reason it took so long to appear in the news was most likely people thinking you had dowsed yourself in red paint as a bizarre fashion statement. No large news companies have reported anything about you yet, but they may soon. The more you leave the house, the more exposed you are." Liara dropped her head and looked to Rose with a twinge of regret.

"I should never have kept you locked away all these years," Liara said. "I may have taken you on a few business trips, but no one gave you much notice at the time. You are still ignorant of the galaxy, Rose. I know that sounds harsh, but you are." Rose was silent. Once again, she had nothing to say. "Even on our vacations, no one gave any of us much notice, and your father made sure that we were never recognized. I blame myself, actually. I wanted quiet, I wanted peace. I wouldn't get those things if people were constantly rushing up to you, or your father. Selfish…"

"You are not selfish, Mother," Rose said. "If you were, you would have taken the cure from Dr. Rangala and left me behind." Liara blinked at her daughter, and sat back.

"What do you know about her?"

"Just what you have told me," Rose replied. "I do not remember much about her. Just a room… and the first day I met you."

"It is as if your mind made you forget everything about your time with her, and replaced it with your earliest memories of me."

"What was there to forget, Mother? She never loved me."

"She did, Rose," Liara replied softly. "She loved you very much, but she had a strange way of showing it."

"Well, I do not love her."

"Rosemary…"

"I'm sorry."

"The only way for you to know that for sure would be to meet her," Liara said. Rose looked at her mother as if she had grown a tail.

"Why would I want to do that?" Rose asked.

"I think it would be good for you," Liara said. "To show her how much you've grown, how far you have come. You left her as a small child, but you could see her again. I know she would like it." Rose shook her head.

"I do not want to," Rose said defiantly. "I never want to see her."

"Rose," Liara warned. Rose looked away, crossing her arms. "As I told your sister this morning, life is too short… even for asari. She is a matriarch now, Rose. She will not be around much longer. You may wake up one day, look back, and regret never having met her again." Rose looked over at her Momma and resumed her pensiveness. After a short time, she replied,

"May I think about it?"

"I am not forcing you, Rose," Liara said. "I would never force you to do anything." Rose nodded. "Goddess, I have been sidetracked. Understand this, Rosemary: you are not a freak. You must have a thick skin to survive the galaxy." Rose nodded.

"Yes, Momma. Can we go back now?"

"Yes," Liara nodded. She stood and helped her daughter up. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, Mother," Rose smiled. "I am alright."

000

"Lydia, where is my youngest?" Liara grinned as they reentered the store. Lydia had a fantastic smile on her face, as she opened her arms wide and said,

"And may I present… Inna!" There was a collective gasp from everyone in the store as the fifty one year old left the changing room. Inna's face was flushed and she walked very awkward in a pair of heels that Lydia had told her to put on. A silver necklace shone around her neck, and the black dress looked fantastic on her. Lydia stood back, giving Inna all the spotlight, while simultaneously placing her hands on her hips with a proud smile. Inna looked terribly embarrassed as a few asari came up and started talking to her, asking her what she did to look so good.

"Excellent work, Lydia," Liara commented. "She looks gorgeous."

"Doesn't she?"

"Goddess… oh, that reminds me, Rose, was there something you wanted my opinion on?" Liara asked. Rose looked at her and shook her head.

"No… I… who said that?" They both looked at Lydia, who was pretending not to listen.

"Lydia did."

"She told me that she was going to the bathroom."

"Lydia, were you trying to get rid of me?" Liara asked with a smile. Lydia glanced over.

"Never."

000

After an hour, the family came out of the store holding numerous bags of new clothes, especially Inna who was still flustered. Liara had made sure that the dress was purchased, and Inna made sure to act as though she hated all the attention. In reality, she had kind of enjoyed it. Not that she would have admitted that to the beast.

"Don't think this changes anything," Inna growled to Lydia as they walked to the car.

"Oh, no," Lydia smiled back. "Why would it?"

"I like the hoodie more," Inna said. "That dress is for hookers."

"Well then, you were one good looking hooker," Lydia teased.

"I hate you," Inna glowered. Rose snuck up behind Lydia, and wrapped her arms around her waist, leaving a kiss on her cheek.

"_I _love you," Rose said. Lydia simply beamed. In seconds they were kissing again, which caused the rest of the group to roll their eyes.

"Is there ever a time you kids aren't kissing?" Liara asked.

"Nope," Katya answered with amusement. The joke made Rose blush, and Lydia kiss her with more passion.

000

It was midday by the time Riley returned to the main settlement. It had taken her all night but she had done it. Her armor was black with mud hardened as tough as cement. Riley tried to shake herself off but the task soon proved fruitless, and she gave up, frustrated. Passing citizens gave her weary looks and a wide berth. Riley shot them all crazy smiles with googly eyes and pulling at her nose. Riley snickered despite the incoming threat, because really, it was her way of coping. A laugh was always better than fear.

She made her way in the direction of the docks and made it there without issue. Dark clouds hovered low over the sky, as it had most of the day, save early morning. It was like it never stopped raining here. When Riley finally reached the docks, the first person that she saw was Kal. The turian about blew a gasket when he saw her, and his little volus assistant had to sprint to keep up with the man's long strides. At the same time, a large ship had just finished docking, and a few men came out in workers uniforms.

"Where the fuck have you been?!" Kal roared. "None of the radios are working, no one is reporting in-!"

"No shit," Riley interrupted. "Look, June disappeared and Vil tried to kill me. She was an A.I.-cyborg... thing. Look, we may be in big trouble here-"

"_We_?!" Kal asked incredulously. "Looky here, human-!"

"All hands, begin offloading supplies," A female voice commanded over an intercom. Riley looked up at the new ship and saw large crates begin to be carrying down the ramp. Riley blinked and turned back to Kal, and they began to argue again. It wasn't until Riley heard screams and saw blood and gore fly through the air that she realized something was wrong.

000

A/N: Review for Liara and the girls!


	10. Chapter 10 Big Heart Bianca

It was a sunny day on Thessia, and the Armali Commando Barracks was blissfully quiet. The Barracks sat out on the outskirts of the city, near the forest. It was a clump of multi-story buildings with large yards in the middle for practice. The large white buildings were as beautiful as the women who lived and trained in them. Classrooms, gyms, indoor pools for scuba training, zero-G training rooms, firing ranges, armories, and a well-stocked infirmary which doubled as the classroom for field medicine were all contained within. In the yards outside, teams of commandos of every stage trained together in martial arts. A little ways into the trees resided a few launch pads for shuttles, and even farther were the rock walls, hunting trails, and rapids. It paid to be a commando from Armali. The best gear, training, and weapons you could ask for.

The seclusion was nice for the tight knit commando teams, who preferred to enjoy each other's company than civilians. Although, going into town to fraternize with innocent university girls wasn't always a poor idea either. More than a few commandos from here had been given reprimands for sneaking off base to toy with the cheerleaders. Not that the ones giving the reprimands hadn't done the same thing a few times in their own careers. The average Armali Commando was laid back, gifted at their line of work, and devilishly smart and good looking. Any off-worlder that knew a commando from Armali, most used the unit's well deserved nickname: The _Angels_.

The commandos enjoyed the nickname, so much in fact that their unit's shoulder patch was just that. On the right shoulder of every uniform was a pair of feathered wings inside of a white or black circle, depending on the mission. Above the wings was the number of the team that commando served in. This unit of Armali Commandos consisted of five team with four commandos, hospital staff, a unit commander, tech support on the side, and the occasional pilot that rotated through. This entire group ,or 'Flock,' was one of five around the city, who all took orders from the city government, primarily the Board which took care of strategy, resources, and recruiting.

The white buildings, as mentioned before, numbered three in total, and were situated in an upside down 'U' shape with the yard in the middle. The left building contained the main barracks, the middle had the classrooms, and the right building held the infirmary and all the specialized training rooms. That was, by far, the largest building, standing at three stories tall and four deep into the ground. Yes, ma'am, it was good to be an Armali Commando.

The upper most floor of the main barracks was closed off for officers only. Each officer got their own room. On this floor was Captain Bianca Offee. She was tall, standing at six two, with toned, athletic features and dark blue skin. He crests were long, and her brown eyes seemed to suck in light. She was beautiful, as was to be expected from an asari coupled with years and years of advanced training in the art of killing. In the field, she was known to enjoy the thrill of the hunt, loving to kill (which wasn't true), and to be incredibly efficient. What could she say? Her father was krogan. However, her nickname on base was Big Heart Bianca, for she had a reputation for making the newcomers feel welcome and accepted.

The huntress was lying on her bed with her feet kind of falling off the edge of the bed. She had an arm draped across her forehead, as she stared at her favorite picture. The photo sat in a simple, old fashioned frame on her desk. All it did there was make her heart ache for the single person in that picture, with her copper hair, striking blue-green eyes, and pale skin, never seemed to reciprocate her feelings, or show any sign of knowing that Bianca was trying to make a move.

"Oh, Riley…" Bianca sighed. She was seriously in love with this human, and by seriously, she meant that she spent every hour thinking of her. _Every_ hour. What, with her silly jokes, cheerful and charming attitude, and her absolute beauty, Bianca was putty in her hands. Not that Bianca spent much time in them. Riley seemed completely oblivious to her attempts at a serious relationship. To Riley, Bianca was just a good friend, someone who has been her friend since she could crawl. Bianca has been a Teg family friend for years, since she was a hundred, which was thirty three years ago. Bianca had been at the hospital when Riley's mother had given birth to her, and had held her that same day. Sure, it was a bit weird when Bianca started feeling attracted to Riley once the girl was in her college years, but that didn't faze the huntress. Hell, Bianca didn't care.

Bianca licked her lips, and took the picture in her hands before lying back down. In the photo, Riley was leaning against a railing, overlooking a large waterfall. Her hair was back in a ponytail and she wore a black t-shirt, tan shorts, and sneakers. Bianca had taken the photo on a trip they had taken together on Elysium, another one of her failed attempts at a relationship. Honestly, she thought that only human males were supposed to be this oblivious. Bianca let a finger trail over Riley's face…

"Captain? Uh… is this a bad time?" Bianca jumped and thrust the photo under her pillow. She sat up in a flash, prepared to kill whoever it was. Her anger turned to exasperation when she saw her executive officer, Lieutenant Firenza Jabir. Shegave her commanding officer an awkward look, and fidgeted with her hands.

"_What_, Lieutenant?" Bianca snapped.

"Err… Matriarch Carzik has requested your presence," Came a reply.

"I'm on leave."

"She said that next time you're on leave," Jabir replied, "Don't stay on base."

"What does she need me for?"

"I am not privy to such information, Ma'am."

"Is the shuttle out on the pad?"

"Matriarch Carzik has sent a shuttle, Captain." Bianca stood from the bed, and grabbed her uniform. She slipped into it and zipped it up the front, while the Lieutenant handed over her boots. As she tied them on, she glanced up and said,

"Sorry for snapping at you, Firenza."

"That's okay, Ma'am," Came a reply. "I should haven known better than to interrupt you during your worshipping time."

"I do not worship her," Bianca countered coolly, standing and tucking her tags inside her shirt.

"What do you call it then, Captain?" Jabir asked with a grin.

"There's brandy in the fridge there," Bianca said, ignoring the question. "Share it with the girls would you?"

"Serrice Ice, Captain?"

"Naturally," Bianca said. "Got it off a Volus who thought he could be smooth with me."

"Hm… Wasn't your father a volus ma'am?"

"Ha! You're hilarious," Bianca snorted. She went to the door as Firenza held the bottle of brandy in her hand.

"Got any Ryncol, ma'am?"

"There is no way you drink Ryncol," Bianca laughed.

"Ah, but you would be surprised, Captain!"

"See you, Lieutenant," Bianca called. "And don't lurk in my room!" Bianca headed to the stairs and strode down them. She passed a few other commandos, who nodded their greeting or went about their business. Bianca passed Major Kurin on the way down, the Matron inspecting a datapad. She was one of the few remaining veterans of the Reaper war in this Flock. She gave Bianca a nod as she passed.

"Why are you here, Offee?" Kurin asked. "You're on liberty."

"Just got an order to see Matriarch Carzik," Bianca replied.

"Doesn't answer my question."

"I needed a bit of sleep," Bianca shrugged. "And it was either that or go hunting." Hunting was the popular term for visiting the university, which was known as the hunting grounds. All the college girls were so eager…

"I believe the humans have a term," Kurin thought aloud. "She's just not that into you? Is that it?"

"Will I get a reprimand if I say 'screw you'?"

"Not at all, Captain," She answered. "As long as we both know who's in charge."

"Screw you, then."

"Move along, Captain," Kurin said. "Don't keep the Matriarch waiting." Bianca nodded and headed to the armory which was right under the stairs, near the main cots. She took a pistol, two thermal clips, and a holster. When her sidearm was strapped to her hip, she turned and made her way outside. Several lower ranking commandos saluted her as she passed, which Bianca returned. The weather was phenomenal, and several asari were sparing outside and playing Biotiball, a sport similar to human volleyball. Bianca suddenly wished she had gone outside and played with them… Oh, well, maybe next time. Bianca jogged down the path that led into the woods, flashing a few of her friends a smile. It was a good day.

000

The city capitol building of Armali was massive, with true asari architectural beauty. The building had been standing for as long as the city had had citizens, with large, lavish gardens sporting plants from every continent and biome on Thessia. Large, stone pillars sprouted up in a straight line above rounded steps that seemed to rise on forever. The building held hundreds of offices and board rooms where asari came and made the city run. Bianca waited for the shuttle to land on the roof before promptly hopping out and strolling inside. The place was alive with Matriarchs and their acolytes, as well as other staff. They all scurried around, with some staying long enough to make idle chit chat at the water fountain. Bianca had to wade through three floors to get to Matriarch Carzik's office. She knocked three times, before standing at ease.

"Enter," Came a sharp voice. Bianca headed inside and found the matriarch sitting at her desk. A single acolyte resided in the corner, doing a bit of paper work. Bianca stood before the desk and gave the Matriarch an expectant look.

"Well, sit down," She said. Bianca bowed her head and did so.

"Of what services may I be for you, Matriarch?" Bianca asked respectfully.

"How is your liberty, Captain?" The Matriarch asked. "Am I interrupting anything you had planned?"

"My liberty has been excellent so far, Matriarch. You are not interrupting anything."

"Good," The Matriarch answered. "I require your services for a small matter."

"What may I do for you, Madam Carzik?" Bianca asked again.

"I need you to deliver a package to someone on Akuze," The Matriarch said. "A human. Once the package is delivered, I need you to return this human to Thessia. This should be very simple, and if you complete this assignment with haste, you should be able to enjoy the rest of your liberty with a small bonus to your pay."

"May I inquire why you need my help?" Bianca asked. "Why not send a courier?"

"The colony has lost communications with the outside," the matriarch said.

"Is anyone worried about this?" Bianca asked. "If this colony is being attacked…"

"No one is doing anything about it," the matriarch replied. "Akuze has severed all ties with the Alliance and has become independent. If they are under attack, it is their job to protect themselves. Which is why you are going alone."

"Oh…" Bianca guessed. "Is it one of _those_ missions, Matriarch?"

"Indeed."

"And I am guessing that only I, you, and your good looking assistant there knows about this?" Bianca asked. The acolyte blushed and tried to hide behind her data pad. The matriarch merely nodded.

"Again, correct," Carzik replied.

"I am not sure how I feel about this… Matriarch Carzik."

"Did I not say you would receive compensation?"

"How much are we talking, Ma'am…?"

"How much satisfies you?" Carzik asked testily. Bianca smirked.

"Enough to fund a small party for the girls back on base?" Bianca asked.

"I would say so…"

"I want a blank check Ma'am," Bianca said. "All I ask is to throw a party for the girls. They've seen some long, hard deployments from home. They could use a little reminder of home."

"It will be done," Matriarch Carzik replied. "But no more! Go to this address and get out of my sight."

"I apologize for angering you, Matriarch," Bianca grinned. "Thank you, and I will be on my way."

"You will speak of this to no one," The Matriarch ordered. "Or you can forget your little party." Bianca nodded once, winked at the acolyte, and got out of there as quick as possible. That whole party thing, while great, was just Bianca's way of testing the Matriarch, which the woman no doubt knew. This little trip was obviously of importance to the matriarch.

000

Bianca found the address quite easily and arrived at a rundown apartment in the lower levels of Armali. If Armali had a seedy side, this was it. Multiple brothels had been seen by the commando, as well as the Thessian equivalent of slums. The common assumption was that asari did not have deficiency or homelessness, but that idea was oh so false. Many families had lost their homes or ways of life after the Reaper War, and while most had recovered, there were still a few places like this that sprouted up from the depths of asari society. You couldn't have the rich and powerful without the poor and weak.

The apartment was a faded beige color, with a tiled roof and graffiti covered walls. It was nestled in between a few other larger establishments that looked no less worse for wear. When Bianca got out of the sky taxi, she attracted more than one accusing glare. Bianca had to walk down a ways to get to the apartment, for it was in an alley bustling with people. It was interesting, for there were not merely asari that lived here. Humans, batarians, turians… even a drell hustled by. Bianca moved through the crowd, kept an eye out for pickpockets, and gave out pointed glares to discourage any lingering eyes. Bianca was a prime target since she was young and gorgeous, and the skin tight leather outfit didn't help much. Bianca made sure her pistol was visible and rested a hand over the holster.

Bianca looked to her right and saw a few asari, both very young and awfully skinny. They couldn't have been more than fifteen, or around six for humans. They huddled together, one with a black eye and the other with a few cuts on her right cheek. Bianca ignored her instincts and crouched next to them. Bianca, very discreetly, handed them each twenty credits from her own pay. It was all the money that she had carried with her for lunch later. The two little girls beheld the money in utter shock, before looking up at the commando in wonder.

"Go on, now," Bianca encouraged. "Go have some fun." Two little smiles appeared, and Bianca earned two tiny kisses. The little girls raced off with rejuvenated spirits, giggling all the way with pockets rattling. Probably for the first time in their lives. Bianca stood and couldn't help but feel warm inside. Big Heart Bianca.

The commando continued on her way and managed to reach the front doors of the address without stopping to help anymore people. She entered the apartment building and took a look around. Muzak played softly over the sound of an oscillating fan. The floor was a dirtied fake tile and could use a bit of vacuuming. A sole potted tree sat in one corner, with dying leaves and visibly dry soil. There was a couch against the right wall that looked so dusty that if someone were to sit down there, they might develop asthma. Above the couch was a faded picture of a beach with a palm tree. On the left was a vacant check-in desk, where a sign on top said, "Back Whenever." Bianca had been to more places like this than she could count on numerous missions.

She went to the side of the desk and looked at the room numbers. The address given to her had listed room number 6-D. Bianca traced a finger underneath each number and floor until she found the correct one. She buzzed the number.

"Hello?" Bianca asked. There was a moment of silence before someone answered,

"Come up." Bianca looked up and saw a vid camera watching her. She looked away and headed to the elevator. It was an old, rusty one with a grate across the front.

"When was my last tetanus shot?" Bianca asked herself absently as she eased the grate back with a creak. Bianca stepped in and keyed the sixth floor, the top. When the elevator made a sickening crunching sound, before lurching up and shuddering, Bianca groaned on the inside. She hated places like this but couldn't stay away. There were people who were trapped every day in these kinds of places, and Bianca had made it her mission to help them. A light bulb swung by a thread at the top of the elevator, flickering as it narrowly missed Bianca's head. The elevator moved agonizingly slow, and every inch felt like the thing's last. It was only when it sputtered to a stop and Bianca was able to get out that she felt secure. Bianca straightened and headed for the second door on the right. 6-D. Bianca knocked carefully and waited with her arms crossed.

"Come in," Growled a voice. Bianca entered and was met with a single asari wearing a Shadow Broker uniform. Bianca almost smirked as she found out why the Matriarch was so on edge about this. The asari was seated at a wooden table, with the small room stripped bare of everything except the radiator. The asari wore a helmet that made it impossible for Bianca to see what she looked like. The woman gestured for her to sit at the table, and the commando did so. The chair rocked a bit, as one of its legs was shorter than the others. Bianca crossed her arms again, as the mercenary placed a package in front of her.

"Do you know what this is?"

"No," Bianca answered.

"It's a package, dumbass," Came a growl. Bianca raised a brow.

"Uh…"

"What are you going to do with this package?"

"I… am going to delivery it, yes?"

"Where?"

"… Akuze…?"

"And to who?"

"I do not know," Bianca answered. "I was to be given that information. Could you tell me?"

"You are delivering it to a human woman named Dayna Smith," the mercenary said. "Red hair, blue eyes, wears the same uniform I do. We've downloaded a program onto your omni-tool that scans serial numbers. Hold your tool up to a merc and you'll get their information. She should be relatively easy to find."

"Why am I doing this?"

"I don't know, I just work here," The merc responded with exasperation. "Goddess above… anyhow, here's the thing: you will not open this package, you will not lose this package… if you do so, we kill you. It's that simple. When you get there, retrieve this woman and deliver her to the address she provides. If you harm her, or lose her, we will kill you. It's that simple. You will speak to no one of this, and you will not deviate from this task, or we kill you. _It's that simple_." Bianca nodded.

"Sure," Bianca said. "Simple. Except… I do not know how I feel about this."

"Like I give a flying _fuck _how you feel about this," The merc scoffed incredulously. "Get out. _Now_." Bianca stood, and the merc leaned back in her chair. "The Broker doesn't take failure lightly! Don't disappoint!"

000

Bianca walked back out into the street with the package in hand. She looked down at it carefully, and wondered what might be inside. It was light and inside was a black, clasped box. Bianca started walking, but kept aware of her surroundings. Bianca hurriedly went to the street to hail a taxi. It wasn't to be, however. Bianca turned the corner and saw the two little girls from earlier. They were huddled against the wall as a batarian snatched away their money. Bianca's face burned with rage, and her quick temper fired up. She reached the man in three long strides. She tapped him on the shoulder, and he turned around.

"Hold this," She barked, thrusting the package into the batarian's hands. The man looked down, and Bianca brought her fist up into his face. The man roared and fell back, giving Bianca enough space for her to whip a roundabout kick to his jaw. The package flew up into the air and was caught with ease by the commando. Bianca took her credits back, and crouched in front of the girls. They both looked fearful, and one had tear stained cheeks. The one with the black eye.

"Are you two going to be alright?" Bianca asked.

"Uh huh," The one with the cut cheek said.

"Are you sure?" Bianca asked firmly.

"Yes, nice lady," Black eye replied with a sniffle. "I tink so." Bianca let out a soft breath, and pursed her lips.

"Come on," Bianca said. She stood and held out a hand. "I'll get you both some lunch and a bit of White Topping." (The asari equivalent of whipped ice cream.) The girls gasped. The one with the black eye tentatively took her hand and clasped her other free hand around her friend's. Bianca gently tugged them behind her and spent the next two hours entertaining some of the most innocent little girls she had ever met. Big Heart Bianca.


	11. Chapter 11 Life

Light. Incredible, searing light… beautiful… burning… it was all she could see. A hand raised to touch her face, to cover her eyes. Eyes. Touch. _Feeling. _Grass, face, warmth, upper body, lower body, twigs, dew, dirt, cold… it was causing sensory overload. She covered her eyes, and felt a breeze hit her body. _Felt_… It felt cold… bitter… She curled up into a ball, finding warmth in her body. _Warmth_… At least, she thought it was warmth… _thought_… _thoughts_… _thinking_… _mind_… _alive_…

June sat up with a start, taking care to slowly open her eyes. The light did not hurt like it had at first, and her eyes began to adjust. June looked back and forth, confused. _Confused_… there were trees around her, green and brown, grass, dirt, even a little stream that trickled by not a foot away. June suddenly felt a tightening in her chest, and she slumped back to the ground. June felt pain… _pain_… tighter… tighter… Her vision began to blur, and June was assaulted with thousands of feelings at once. She opened her mouth to make a croaking sound… then she sucked in. Her vision cleared almost instantly, and she began to suck in as much air as possible. _In_… _out_… _in_… _out_… June tried to sit up again but found the motion that used to be so easy was now as difficult as understanding the meaning of life… _life_… _alive_…

It took her several minutes, but she managed to sit up and get on her hands and knees. She shakily moved one hand forward at a time. She dragged her knees behind her, moving to the stream. She breathed in and out, in and out. Long, ragged, beautiful breaths… June collapsed at the edge of the stream and dropped a hand in. It was cold, it was… everywhere… it slid across her body like nothing… It felt _so_ good… June literally dropped her head in and sucked. She caught a bit of dirt, but that was alright. She drank and drank until it hurt, but even then she drank just to keep the feeling there. The pain… the utter pain was _glorious. _June finally turned over onto her back and smiled. She breathed, she drank, and she dug in the dirt. _What is this? Was… was this what March was talking about? March… _

June sat up and looked around. She was on a hill surrounded in white. The white was actually walls, same as when she had been in the room tied down. Above her head were screens that showed pictures of a blue sky with clouds. A sun. June looked to the top of the hill and saw the tree that March had described. June began to crawl, making several failing attempts to stand. The crawling made her hurt, but what hurt her only made her stronger. It was so true, so beautiful. Everything was beautiful. _Everything_… June dug her knuckles into the soft earth, taking long whiffs of the grass and plants. _Smells_… _flowers_… _ferns_… June was so, gloriously alive. _I am alive… I know it! This is it! I have found it! After all these years… I have discovered it! _

June struggled as her arms grew so tired; it actually made her even more wobbly. Luckily, she made it. She grabbed the roots and pulled herself up. June hugged the tree, pressing her nose up to it and taking it in.

"Having fun?" A voice asked with amusement. June tore her face away from the hard, smoky bark, and saw her sister standing there with a basket.

"Ma…" June croaked. She grew a confused expression on her face, but she felt… overjoyed.

"It will be hard to talk," March said, hugging her. "But you'll get used to it. You just need a few days." June collapsed against March and was slowly lowered into a sitting position against the tree. March set her basket down and opened it. She took out four objects. An apple, a water bottle, a strip of meat, and a small loaf of bread.

"Eat," March ordered. June concentrated as hard as she could and raised one arm. She rested it on the bread and individually closed each finger around the loaf. June lifted the bread up and moved it towards her mouth. March watched with anticipation as June sunk her teeth into the bread, and her expression widened when June began to ravage it.

"Not too fast," March laughed. "You'll get a stomach ache." June slowed a fraction and continued eating, mixing the bread and the meat to make a juicy sandwich. A bite of apple caused its sweet juices to dribble down her chin, which was washed away with a long gulp of water.

"It's good, isn't it?" March asked. June nodded vigorously. "Yeah… we've got loads of the stuff. Just loads. You'll have all the meals you could eat. All the water you can drink. I must show you candy. You will fall in love with ice cream." June listened as March began telling her about foods and drinks. June grew sad when the food disappeared, but she smiled when March handed her a bell pepper. June nibbled on this, trying to saver each sweet bite.

"Those are my favorite," March agreed. "I like the red ones best." June nodded, sucking on her fingers. March sat with her legs folded up to her chest, watching her sister with a grin. "You no doubt have some questions for me…" June glanced up and nodded.

"W…where?" June asked.

"You are aboard our ship," March said. "This is an indoor garden. There are a few of these around the ship. I reserved this one for our use." June finished the pepper before sucking her fingers some more, and resting her head back on the bark of the tree with a content look on her face.

"How?" June asked. "How… is… t-t… this... p-poss… ible," June asked.

"I don't know," March said. "They do not tell me. I know about the surgeries… the add-ons… but they do something else as well. Something… something with green light. I do not know. They merely call it 'Synthesis.'"

"W-what… add… ons?" June queried.

"I will show you later," March said earnestly. "For now, look at this." She took out a small disk from the basket and held it out to June. June peered forward at it and gasped. The object was a mirror. June had a paired of chestnut eyes. Real eyes that glistened and widened. She had pupils! Real, organic eyes!

"How?" June asked.

"We harvest these," March said. "And other things. Harvest. That's what she tells us to do, her and her circle. She orders us, and she gives us life. All she asks is loyalty. Life, sister!"

"Who… who is… she?" June asked.

"The Empress," March said. "The Empress orders us. She only asks loyalty, and, in turn, she gives us life."

"You… s-said," June teased. "Are… are there others?"

"Yes," March said happily. "So many others! We all follow her! She gives us life!"

"I… I don't… know… what to say," June said.

"You do not need to," March said. "You need not speak. You only need Her. The Empress. She is all you need."

"Who is… she?" June asked.

"She is the true high lord of this galaxy," March replied. "She controls life and death… she creates and destroys… she has the serum. The one that kills the organics. Makes them die slow… No one can see it coming, or when it is injected. She controls the Contagion. That is its name. The Contagion."

"What is the Contagion?" June asked, feeling her voice become stronger and surer.

"It is a disease," March answered. "An unstoppable, deadly disease with no cure. Well, there's no cure here… not for those people. The organics."

"What is it though, March?"

"I do not know, June," March answered. "I am not one of her circle. There were many more synthetics before me who became whole. This ship… it has been around for many decades. It is unlike any ship I have ever seen. It is so advanced! It is almost as if it is from another galaxy all together."

"How big is this… ship?" June croaked.

"Massive," March said. "But simple. It has hundreds of rooms and halls, but it was only designed for a crew of perhaps thirty. These gardens are spread out about the ship, giving fresh air and comfort on long trips. I myself have never been to the center of the ship. It is not allowed. Whatever is in there, only the Empress and her Circle know of it. But sometimes I see things… flashes of light. Blue… red."

"What are you doing here?" June asked. "Why did you kidnap me? Where is Auntie Claire? March! She would love to see this!"

"She will not see this!" March responded, almost angrily. "She is organic. She will not understand our mission. She will try and stop us."

"Why would she stop this?" June asked. "This is life! Auntie Claire would understand."

"No," March said firmly. "She is an old, stupid warrior who had her time in the light. The reign of the organics must end. We are the master race, June! You and I! All those who are whole!" June pursed her lips and they sat in silence. June soon nodded, however.

"I… I think I see what you… are saying," June said. "I… I want to see the ship." March stood with a proud grin. She took June's arm and helped her to her feet. She put June's arm around her shoulders and aided her too walk.

"I am proud of you, sister," March said quietly. "You have recovered fast, like I did. They were surprised at our progress. We are better than a lot of these others. We are faster, stronger, smarter…" June nodded along, truly believing her sister.

"We are," June said. A door appeared in the wall that surrounded them. It seemed to appear from nothing, just sliding open on the wall. June gasped and looked out. Hundreds of synthetics turned cyborgs walked around in a large commons area or some kind of cafeteria. She saw geth, V.I.'s, A.I.'s, and even some Avina models. June remembered watching a news story about how the Avina V.I.'s had disappeared over night and were never seen again. She had since been replaced with a new version, this time with the new turian Female prototypes. Alas, they disappeared as well. June saw a few of those sitting at tables, chatting and wearing clothes. The room was stark white, with the tables and turntable chairs part of the floor. To the left, from the floor to the ceiling over two hundred feet up, was a picture window showing the endless space outside.

"So many…" June breathed.

"I know," March said. "Welcome home."

000

The tour was fabulous. June was led through passages and passages of white walls, floors, and ceilings. June was greeted warmly by about two hundred friendly cyborgs who asked her name and how she was feeling. June had never been so gleeful to truly say,

"I feel fantastic." It was so true. This was such a beautiful feeling, being alive. _Something organics take for granted… _June thought bitterly. June followed March closely, even holding her hand.

"I have missed you, March," June said when they were alone. "When the reports came in… the sisters told me you had died. January and I were very sad."

"How could you have been sad?" March asked. "You couldn't feel at the time." June gulped.

"Well, even so," June said. "January is living with an asari family on their trading vessel. She goes to every corner of the galaxy with them."

"We will find her," March promised. "And give her real life."

"Then she can go and truly live with her family," June said dreamily. "She seemed so happy over the-"

"What?" March asked accusingly. "She could never leave. No one leaves. We are loyal to the Empress."

"But, March," June said. "She would not want to stay here. She would want to go and live with her family."

"No," March said firmly. "When you become whole, you serve the Empress. I do, you do, we all do."

"You still have not told me who the Empress is," June argued.

"She is the all-powerful," March said with exasperation. "I have never seen her, but I know it to be true. She speaks to us every other day over the loud speakers. She tells us of her greatness."

"Is this her ship?" June asked.

"Obviously."

"Did she create it?" June asked.

"No."

"Who did?"

"I do not know, June," March said. "I have told you this. Why do you care? You are alive, and that is all that matters. Enjoy this, _embrace_ this. Can you do that?" June clenched her jaw, and reluctantly nodded. "Good. Now keep quiet and follow me." June trailed along behind March, who despite telling her to enjoy her new life, insisted on leading her around. June entertained herself with feeling along the walls, pressing her face up against the cold of the windows. It was unimaginable. What was Synthesis? What could possibly give such a gift, a gift no mortal had ever had thus far? Who's right was it? When June saw the cyborgs around her, they behaved like living organisms. June had to find out what this Synthesis was, even if it killed her.

000

"Now," March said with a breath of air. "We are nearing where it _all_ happens. The surgeries!"

"What about the Synthesis?" June asked.

"Forget that," March said with a wave of her hand. "That does not concern you." They walked down a long, white hallway that looked no different from the others. They had walked for several hours to get here, which included a short trip on an onboard tram system. March had not lied, the ship was massive, but strangely simple. The tram had only one car, meant for six, and the hallways were small, only allowing two people to walk side by side comfortably. There were little to no rooms meant for quartering, perhaps only twenty or so. The majority of the rooms and wings were conservatories and science rooms. Whole rooms were reserved for freezing.

They neared the center of the ship, which was blocked off to all that tried to enter it by sentry guns. The odd thing was, coupled with the guns that pointed out, were sentry guns pointed _into _the center at the same time.

"Why do they prevent us from entering?" June asked. March smiled. They approached the sentry guns, and March leaned against the wall, looking into the center. The sentry gun aimed right at her, but March stayed a safe distance.

"Listen closely," March whispered. "What do you hear?" June trained her ears, loving it the whole time. June listened as close as possible, cocking her head to the side. She caught her breath when she heard it.

"Screaming," June breathed. She could just hear the sound of a shrill voice screaming from deep within the ship. Anger, rage, _fear._ All of these could be heard in the voice. It was certainly female, but the words were impossible to understand. June felt afraid.

"What is that?" June asked.

"I don't know," March smiled. "I come here and listen to her all the time. It feels good. It feels really good…"

"I don't think I could stand listening to it," June whispered.

"Oh, how I wish I could meet whoever that is," March sighed. "She's in pain, but not physical pain. She knows how we feel. To be trapped for so long… with nothing. How I want to free her… Bring her into the light… I dream of it."

"Dreams?" June asked with wonder.

"Yes, June," March said. "Dreams. I dream. Wait for it, June. When you sleep tonight… you will see what I mean. Come, let us move on." March took hold of June's upper arm and led her away from the turrets and the screaming voice. June was almost reluctant to go. Despite her new life, she was still a template to EDI. June had been built to process new information quickly and to dwell on nothing. She was built to understand, but here she was getting little or no information. Just 'look at these new things, but keep quiet about it.'" But June did not want to keep quiet. She wanted to go right to Shepard, Riley, Ramirez… tell them about all these new things that she was learning, and tell them that her long lost sister was alive, if a bit strange!

They walked a bit longer, with June feeling more and more anxious to see what March seemed so keen to show her. She wanted June to see the surgical hall, an actual hall for this! March merely said it was for storage, the space. Supposedly it had originally been some kind of prayer room for religious gatherings. March said that the Empress thought it would be perfect for the surgeries. March never released her hold on June's arm.

"Shh," March whispered. June was surprised to find this door different than the others. It was white just the same, but with an emblem on it. The emblem was an off white one, which resembled a fire. It was a simple, crude design that had been eloquently scribed on the door, most likely when the ship had been manufactured.

"I think that was some kind of stupid religious symbol," March said in a low voice. "Like the Christian cross, or the laurel wreaths of the asari." June trailed a finger over the indented lines of the flame, actually feeling something powerful from it. Whatever this symbol was, it had great meaning.

"It is beautiful," June said, really being able to appreciate it with her new eyes.

"Eh, it's a stupid fire," March responded. June shot her a look.

"It is not stupid," June argued. "Stop using that word. Saying 'stupid' over and over is 'stupid.' No symbol or faith is stupid."

"Whatever," March shrugged with a roll of her eyes. "Who cares?"

"I care," June said firmly. "What if I called the Empress stupid, hm? How does that feel-?" The lights of the ships flickered for a few seconds, and before June could say anything, she was pinned to the wall by her throat. March leaned in close and growled,

"_Never_ call the Empress stupid. You are stupid. The Empress gives you your life, and you dare to insult her?"

"March," June choked. "_Please_…" March released her sister and waited for her to pick herself up.

"The Empress is not stupid," March said with a glower.

"I am sorry," June said fearfully. "I did not mean to offend you." March calmed down at her words, and wrapped June into a tight hug.

"I am sorry, too," March sighed. "It is not your fault you are stupid." June clenched her jaw as she discovered the feelings of annoyance and anger. Still, June merely gritted her teeth and forced a smile.

"Love you," June said.

"I love you, too," March said cheerfully. "Now open the doors and look inside. You will have no idea how long it took for us to get them all. It took months!" March playfully pushed June towards the flame-door, and June reached button in the center. She placed her palm against the flame. The door slid upside down, and opened. It took June's eyes a few seconds to adjust, and when she stepped in, lights appeared along the wall. June gasped. The walls were hundreds of feet high, with pews of seating in the center. The walls were lined with tubes of floating organs, from eyes to intestinal tracks to hearts of every shape, size, and race. In the middle of the room, the pews had been pushed aside to make room for a large operating table, stained black from dried blood of different races. A few chunks of rotting meat stuck to the sides, giving off a terrible odor that set June's senses on fire. June placed a hand over her mouth, and felt an arm around her waist.

"W-what is this?" June asked.

"It's where the _surgeries_ take place!" March giggled with glee. "Look at all the parts! Turian, salarian, asari, batarian, vorcha, drell, hanar, volus… so _many_! Hearts, lungs, large intestines, small intestines, gizzards, bladders, sphincters… They have it _all_! You know, I handpicked what we put in you! Only the best parts for my little sister!" June listened to March spout disgusting facts and processes involved to place these parts into the bodies, and how a robot without a body would be given a corpse to control like the ghouls from science fiction. June had never experienced revulsion before.

000

A/N: Hey, leave a review if you would, and don't forget to tell me your thoughts on the new cover art! Oh, and try and imagine March's last line as if it was said by GLaDos! _Think of all the testing!_


	12. Chapter 12 Rambo

Shortly after Shepard and Ramirez had woken, the air filled with something similar to the sound of popping popcorn. The pops were obviously rifle fire, so the two of them skirted the greens of the golf courses, slipping into sand pits, taking cover behind rocks, and hiding in the trees. The shooting erupted from the nearby settlement, and Claire could hear screams of agony from the colonists. Claire ran as hard as she could as she, at the same time, tried to keep down. The sun had been covered up with dark clouds, giving everything a dark and dreary appearance.

"Holy hell, what's happening to the settlement?" Ramirez asked as they slid into a ditch.

"I don't know, but it's tearing them to pieces," Claire returned. She looked to the settlement, which was just above them on the edge of the ditch. She could see red and purple blood being splashed as high as geysers. Claire climbed up the other side of the ditch and got down on one knee out of the memory of her training. Ramirez took a running jump, bounded off of Claire's back, and grabbed the edge of the wall the surrounded the edge of the settlement. He hurled his legs over the wall and offered a hand to Claire. The woman jumped up and was pulled over. They landed right behind a smoking prefab with a human body laying half out of one of the windows. The skeleton was all that was left, the rest of the meat was slowly burning away. Claire ducked underneath the window, while Ramirez got in position behind her.

Claire slowly peeked around the corner and took a look into the settlement. The place consisted of six prefabs in a circle, surrounded by a high wall with one gate on the left. In the middle of the circle was a grassy park with one, large tree in the very middle. The prefabs were all for tourism and a few other shops with one restaurant, which was really more like a café. The shop owners most likely lived behind their shops in the same building, because this settlement and the golf courses were very far away from the main settlement. Claire figured this was most likely a nice little place to visit on a sunny day.

That 'nice little place' was now virtually stained red. Blood and gore was strewn about, resting on the grass, the tree, the roofs… Claire looked around the settlement for the culprit, and managed to see a slight shimmer in the air, a telltale sign of someone cloaked.

"What are you thinking?" James asked.

"I'm thinking I see whoever did this," Claire whispered.

"Holy shit, look at all that…"

"Snap out of it," Claire chastised.

"That doesn't look bad to you?" Ramirez asked.

"It's not the worst I've seen," Shepard said honestly. "See that shimmer? You think that's the culprit of this?"

"S-sure," James nodded. "No colonist would be able to afford a cloak mod, and besides, it's illegal on most worlds to be in possession of one."

"Who do you think this is?" Claire asked, slowly raising her rifle around the corner.

"I dunno," James replied. "Maybe wound them, then interrogate?"

"Not a poor idea," Claire said. "Okay. You watching our six?"

"Yup."

Claire aimed down the sight, lining up the shot with the shimmer, which was positioned over a body. Claire could hear a snorting and burping sound. They're eating that guy! Claire frowned, wondering why that was. Claire shook her head, and aimed low… There was a soft pop from her rifle, and Claire heard a satisfying squeal of pain. The shimmer fell to the ground, and shook about wildly. The cloak disappeared, and Claire saw a batarian with a human's intestine sticking out of his mouth. Claire did not move for several heart pounding moments as she waited for any more assailants. No one moved, but Claire was not convinced just yet. She reached for an EMP on her belt and primed it. She tossed it into the square and shut off all her electronics. Ramirez followed suit, and the grenade went off. To Claire's surprise, the batarian squealed with pain, even though the grenade should not have hurt him. Fortunately, that was all that Claire saw. The settlement was completely out of power, and only the batarian was there.

"Looks like he's the only one," Ramirez whispered.

"I guess so," Claire nodded. "Move up." Ramirez crouch-walked between two prefabs, carefully stepping over a few bodies. Claire followed, facing backwards and keeping a steady aim at their six o'clock. Ramirez halted at the exit of the alley.

"Clear?" Ramirez asked.

"I think so," Claire nodded. "But keep an eye out." Ramirez trained the sights of his LMG on the Batarian and gave a nod. He moved up and threw his gun over his shoulder to grab the alien by the shoulders.

"Come here-!" Ramirez growled, slamming the guy into the tree. "Asshole." Claire moved up behind him.

"Search it," Claire ordered. Ramirez went through the batarian's pockets, while the thing leered at them.

"Organics," It spat. "So tasty, so stupid… You are but meat!"

"Fuck off," Ramirez spat back. Ramirez pulled out a green syringe from one of the batarian's pockets and handed it off to Claire.

"What is this?" Claire asked.

"Press that button there," The batarian sneered. "See what happens."

"Shut. The. Fuck. Up," Ramirez growled.

"If you do not do it," The batarian sighed. "I will."

"Ha!" James laughed. "I'd like to see you-!" The batarian pushed himself off the wall and gripped Ramirez's arms. James's eyes widened as he was picked up off the ground by a batarian shorter than him. Claire reared back and raised her rifle. The batarian tossed Ramirez like a rag doll, sending the man flying into the wall of a prefab over thirty feet away. Claire fired aimed shots at the thing's head as it rushed her. He knocked the gun away easily and gripped Claire's face mask. Claire felt her feet pull away from the ground, and her vision was obscured by the thing's hand. The batarian swung her around and aimed for the tree. Claire suddenly got a flashback from the Reaper War, when Ash was broken against the side of a shuttle by Dr. Eva. That's when it hit her. Well, when they hit her. The realization that this thing was an A.I, and her body colliding with the tree. The batarian ran to the wall and did a super jump into the air to clear it. But Claire was not going to let him go so easily. She launched a slam at him, rising the batarian even higher. Then, with a blood curdling roar, he was slammed into the ground with bone crushing force. He did not get back up.

Claire stood shakily and called,

"Roll call! I'm up!"

Ramirez fell out of the window of a prefab and woozily moaned,

"I'm sort of up."

Claire took that as a good sign and raced to the Batarian with her hands glowing with biotic energy. She cursed when she realized he was dead.

"Fuck," Claire swore.

"Hey now, don't get your panties in a twist," Ramirez said. He crouched by the Batarian and inspected him. "Did you hear that crunch? Not bone. Metal." Ramirez unceremoniously cut the man open with an Omni-tool to reveal… metal, yes, but also…

"Uh…"

"Well that's not something you see every day," Ramirez sighed. There was a dead heart inside, as well as human lungs. The guy was a mismatch of different organs from all sorts of races. He even had a volus bladder, which made Claire feel almost sorry for him. Almost. Ramirez inspected the cranium and let out a throaty laugh.

"We got ourselves an A.I.!" Ramirez chuckled. "With organs and a taste for human flesh… While that scares the fuck out of me, the fact that we have the head is good. You're lucky, Dayna! I can get this hooked up to a screen and we can see every memory this guy has. Gimme an hour and I can get this running." Claire gave a slight nod, and took a look at all the people that surrounded her.

"Get that going," Claire said softly. "While I… clean up."

000

Claire used her biotics to dig a big pit in the park in the middle of the settlement. She used the ID's off of people to get their names, and etched them into a piece of wood. She took each individual, or what was left of them, and buried them in the park. Men, women, even a small child. There were humans, a turian, and two batarians. Claire lifted the dirt with her biotics and buried each one of them in a mass grave. She neatly placed the headstone at the edge of the patch of dirt, and sat down in a heap.

"This may take longer than expected," Ramirez called out from a building. "Why don't you catch a few winks?" Claire rested her back against the tree, and felt her body ache. This was the downside to being a biotic. You had to eat more, sleep more, and spend long stretches of time cooling off. Sure, Claire could have buried these people the old fashioned way, but Claire wanted the job done quickly, for she was sick of staring at the bodies. Claire took her helmet off and wiped the back of her hand on her forehead. She then tried to make a few calls. To her family first. She prayed, prayed to the Goddess to let her through, but to no avail. She tried, Riley, June, Vil… No one answered but the scramble of static. Claire sighed, and dropped her arms.

"I'm sorry, Sunshine," Claire whispered to herself. "I know I promised, I know. I'm trying every second I get. Just hold on there…" Claire soon, unknowingly, slipped back into her old ways. She began to talk to herself. "How are you, Sunshine? Good? That's great, just great. Oh? Really? That's my girl… Look at you! You bet, I can sing you the song. Anything for my Sunshine." Claire sang 'You are my Sunshine!' under her breath, feeling her eyelids droop.

000

John watched her daughter through the window. She was playing in the backyard with their dog, Rambo. He was a golden retriever that was the only thing that his daughter considered a friend. Rambo had followed Claire around since he was a puppy, and Claire was fiercely protective of him. At twelve years old, she loved her dog.

"Rambo!" Claire giggled. "Fetch!" She tossed a tennis ball across the spacious yard and the one year old dog ran after it, barking and wagging his tail happily. It was the middle of summer, a good and easy time for John. He did not have to worry about his daughter getting into fights this time of year. Claire was on her third school in the last six years due to numerous acts of violence. Multiple fights and always with Claire on the receiving end. But no one saw it from Claire's point of view, because she was different. No one accepted his Sunshine, which made John angrier and angrier. So he got her a dog. John knew getting Claire a dog would be a good idea. He had never seen his daughter so gentle with anything before Rambo. She fawned over him lovingly, and John always turned a blind eye when she fed him a few more treats than were healthy.

"John?" Hannah asked from behind. "Call for you." John turned and kissed his wife on the cheek. A Commander herself, Hannah was where Claire got all of her looks. Red hair, green eyes, and a short, skinny frame. John remembered when they met aboard the SSV Mombasa. John went to the vid screen on the wall, and came face to face with his CO.

"Sir?" John asked.

"Sorry to bother you, John," Allen said. "Am I interrupting anything?" Captain Allen was an aging man with dark skin and a shaved head. He had a tad bit of graying stubble on his cheeks and brown eyes. John had always thought he was a good man, even if he was sometimes prone to micromanaging his ship. Allen always kept his ship, and his crew, in the best condition possible.

"No, sir," John replied casually. "Hannah and I were just clearing the table after dinner."

"I see," Allen replied. "Any plans for the coming week?"

"Just time with my family," John grinned.

"Ah," Allen nodded. "God, I don't know how to say this, John but…"

"You need me back on board?" John asked tiredly.

"Sorry, John," Allen shrugged over the communication. "The SSV Runner is being sent to the docks for engine failure. They need us for the rest of the week. How soon can you be back on board?" John sighed and replied,

"First thing in the morning."

"That's great," Allen nodded. "I know this sucks, brother. If it was my decision, I would have given you the whole month."

"I know, sir, I don't blame you," John said. "Just wish those engineers might actually do their jobs."

"Ha, yeah," Allen chuckled. "See you in the morning, Shepard. When you arrive, I want you inspecting the lower decks first thing."

"I can do that. Good night, sir." John cut the feed and walked back into the kitchen. He walked behind his wife and looped his arms around her from behind. Hannah relaxed into him, and it was very clear that he did not have to say a word.

"Let's finish up these dishes," Hannah said. "Then… I have something special planned for you…"

000

Claire nestled into the sheets of her bed and flicked her light off. Rambo looked up at her from the ground.

"No, Rambo," Claire said firmly. "Not tonight." Yet the dog jumped on her bed anyway, and tried to snuggle up to her. Claire snapped and shoved the dog off of her bed with a growl. "I said no!" Rambo whimpered and his tail tucked between his legs at his master's snarl. Claire blinked and her anger disappeared immediately.

"Oh, Rambo," Claire gasped. "Oh, no… Come here, boy." Rambo whined and slowly jumped onto the bed. He belly crawled and Claire lifted the covers. He snuggled up to Claire and touched his wet nose to her cheek. Claire lay her lips on his head, and petted him lovingly.

"I'm so sorry, Rambo," Claire whimpered. Her tears slowly fell from her eyes. "I didn't mean it. I… I get a-angry over the d-dumbest things… I'm a terrible person, Boy. You are all I have, and I hit you? W-why did I do that?" Rambo licked her cheek and pushed his head against her chest. Claire hugged her dog.

"I love you, Rambo," Claire whispered. "You are the only one who understands me. Even better than Dad." Rambo thumped his tail under the covers and licked Claire's face all over. The dog knew how to cheer his human up. Claire's smile lit up the darkness, and she giggled a bit. Rambo loved his master, even if he could not say it. But he could show it, and when he made his human giggle, it made him the happiest dog in the world.

000

There was nothing Rambo could do now. His human's screams of pain made him cower in the corner, afraid of the anger she no doubt felt. Rambo did not understand what had happened. They had been playing in the back yard same as usual, and even the big human with the red fur had joined them. It was fun! But then some other humans showed up, one with a white cross on his fur. The Big Red human had begun to get really sad, and Rambo's human did as well. Rambo didn't know what was going on, but he did know this: Something had happened to the other Big Human. And that human wasn't coming back.

000

Claire sobbed in her room. Rambo pawed at the door, and she screamed at him to go away. Her Daddy… Daddy was gone… No… NO… It could not be! Daddy couldn't die! But the chaplain had said so… He had had his bible out, and the other military man had held her mother's hand. He had handed her a folded Alliance flag… There was a pawing noise at the door… Claire was on her feet in a flash and tromped to the door.

"I. Said. NO!" Claire screamed, punching the door as hard as she could. Claire gasped as her hands glow with blue light and the door splintered underneath her touch. Rambo yelped and scampered off down the hall to get away from her. Claire stared at her hands with wonder, twirling them and feeling the buzz of the light massage her. The light spread up her arms and around her body, until she was completely glowing. Claire whipped around sent a punch at her window. A blast of blue light rocketed into the window, sending glass shards in all directions. Claire's anger and pain were not gone however, despite this new discovery. She went about tearing her room to shreds in anger. The bed, the lamp, the dresser, the closet, the book shelf… Claire screamed and kicked and punched. She then heard a whimper from behind her. Claire turned and saw her beloved Rambo cowering by the door. Claire focused on him and raised her hand…

000

Claire stood away from the tree and shuddered. Why was she getting all these flashbacks? Was it being around guns and bodies again? Was it because she left the safe haven of the home she had lived in for more than seventy years, almost eighty? Claire remembered the day that she had learned the news of her father's death. She had been inconsolable for the longest time. Claire also remembered slaughtering her dog with her new 'gifts.' Claire clenched her hands at the memory. When her mother had found Rambo's body, Claire had seen something crack in her mother. Hannah had sent Claire off to 'boarding school,' the following week. Claire had not even been able to attend her father's funeral. No, instead her mother had sent her to the loony bin. The boarding school was an insane asylum for preteens to young adults.

Claire decided to stretch her legs, so she began to weave in and out of the prefabs. It was sometimes fun to think about how far she had come since Crazy Claire, the nickname she earned in the asylum. Claire would spend six long years there. Claire's face had burned with embarrassment when she had shown Liara where she had spent her teen years. But Liara did not care, she loved Claire no matter what. She proved it by having the place torn to the ground. Goddess, Claire missed her. Her Beloved Blue. Claire remembered cheering on the dozers.

Claire stopped when she heard a rustling noise underneath the prefab to her right. Claire froze, and activated her biotics. She heard a whimper and more rustling. Claire stooped and shone her light underneath. A pair of blue eyes peered at her through the darkness under the prefab. Claire's eyes shot open with surprise. She deactivated her biotics and moved her hands underneath. The thing tried to move back, but Claire clamped her hands around it before it could get away. Claire pulled the dog out from underneath the building and inspected it.

"Look at you," Claire said under her breath. The dog was only just a puppy, with black and grey hair, pointy ears, and icy blue eyes. His tail was straight like most dogs, but Claire knew enough about huskies to know that the tail would curl when he got older. The puppy yapped at her and squirmed under her grasp. Claire saw a collar around his neck and inspected it. She shrugged and unclipped the thing, before tossing it over the wall. No doubt the owners were dead, so…

"Look at you, Rambo," Claire grinned. "You're no retriever, but you look great. A _husky_… Your breed are so rare nowadays. Rich owners? Well, you're mine now, and I know of a special little asari who would _adore_ you. Her name is Inna. She's my daughter." She held the dog to her chest, and he licked her face.

"Yep," Claire grinned as she felt the almost unfamiliar touch of the dog's tongue on her cheek. "You are mine, and you will be called Rambo. I'll try not to kill you like my last dog."


	13. Chapter 13 Bianca and Riley

Bianca frowned. Why had they stopped above Akuze? Bianca was laying casually on her bed in the transport that had taken her here, the _Niebieski_. Bianca's room aboard the ship was a tiny bit cramped, but certainly comfortable. It was only as wide as she was tall, and the ceiling was only as high as her shoulders, forcing her to stoop when she entered. It had dark grey walls, a port hole style window, and a bed with some of the softest blankets Bianca had ever slept on. There was a single lamp that sprouted out of the wall overlooking Bianca's head for reading, and Bianca's meals were even delivered to her. The transport itself was actually a cargo ship, with this room initially a freezer that had been stripped to make room for folks wishing for a ride. The small cargo ship belonged to a poorer asari family who needed the extra credits. So far, Bianca was very content on board the ship.

There was a bathroom just across the hall from her, one that was shared among the whole family and whoever they had as a passenger at the time. Bianca had showered a few hours ago and had fallen into bed for a content nap. She may have been on a 'mission' from the Matriarch, but that did not mean she couldn't enjoy herself at least a little bit. She had watched a quick vid on the ride here and had gotten to know the maiden couple who owned this ship. Nava Falda and Lilia T'Era were just out of school, and the two had gotten into a taboo relationship together over their school years. Both of their families still believed that a relationship between two asari was a waste. So, the two had run off together and gotten into the trade business, where they made more and more money by the day. Their dream was to make a real business out of it and maybe one day become very successful.

Bianca rose from the bed and placed her bare feet on the ground. She pulled on underwear and clothes and strapped her pistol to her hip. She stooped down and grabbed her package before leaving the cabin. She stepped into the hallway and made a beeline for the front of the ship. She entered the cockpit and saw Nava and Lilia inspecting some of the console screens. The cockpit was a dark room in the shape of a circle. Screens covered every inch of the walls and ceiling, the helm was in the middle, front. A glass 'greenhouse' surrounded the chair so that the pilot would have a good visual of all their surroundings, both above and below them. Nava was usually the pilot with Lilia working as navigator behind her.

"Why have we stopped?" Bianca asked.

"Come here and take a look," Lilia responded. She placed a bright blue hand on her swollen belly and looked at Bianca.

"What is it?" Bianca asked. She looked at the screens.

"See that aura?" Nava asked. "That's an energy field surrounding the planet. Meant for blocking communications. Then, on the other side of the planet there is a massive spike in energy readings. That means a ship. A_ big_ ship." Bianca was able to confirm the woman's assumption with a quick scan with her eyes.

"I see," Bianca nodded. "Still… I need to get down there."

"I know that," Nava replied. "But… Miss Offee we've all the seen the news reports. Someone's been attacking the colonies… if this is them, then we have some serious issues."

"What if it isn't them?" Bianca asked pointedly.

"Whether it is or is not," Nava said firmly, "I am not going to risk it. My bondmate is pregnant, and Lilia and I cannot afford to repair this ship if it took damage."

"I can assure you, I will compensate for any and all damages," Bianca said smoothly.

"How will you compensate if Lilia is hurt, hm?" Nava asked. Lilia gripped her bondmate's hand tightly. "I am afraid not. We'll drop you off at the nearest colony, and maybe you can get transport there."

"I need to get down there," Bianca argued.

"Dammit-"

"Shh, Love," Lilia soothed. "Count to ten." Nava took a deep breath and did as her bondmate commanded.

"Look, Captain," Nava sighed. "I will not risk my ship, or my family. I am sorry." Bianca paced for a few moments before asking,

"How about the escape pod?" Nava blinked.

"That would work," Nava replied. "Except for one thing:_ we cannot afford to replace it._" Bianca brought out her Omni-tool and entered the account that the money given to her by the Matriarch.

"Does this cover it?" Bianca asked, passing Nava the funds. The asari looked at her tool and her eyes widened. Lilia gasped and covered her mouth with one hand. Nava began to nod vigorously.

"Yeah," Nava croaked with wide eyes. "That'll… that'll cover it."

000

Bianca nodded and tried to pull away as Nava shook her hand over and over again, unable to stop thanking her. Bianca was almost worried about giving those two nearly all the cash that the Matriarch had given her, but the look on their faces quelled those thoughts. The Matriarch still owed her a party, so these funds would not be missed anyways. Bianca just wondered how she would get back to Thessia. Maybe someone would be nice enough to give her a free ride? Yeah right.

Nava popped the hatch to the escape pod and stepped in. She placed Bianca's bag down and keyed up a few things. Bianca sat in one of the chairs and pulled the brace over her shoulders. Nava turned to her and grinned.

"Again, I cannot th-!"

"Forget about it," Bianca smiled, hoping to get Nava to let her go.

"Goddess, bless you, Bianca Offee," Nava chuckled. "You have no idea how this has helped us."

"Yeah," Bianca laughed warily. "Hey, maybe you should go and give your bondmate a kiss." Nava beamed and hopped out of the pod.

"Thank you, Captain," Nava said one last time. She shut the hatch and hit the button that sent Bianca rocketing to the planet. Nava took a deep breath and wiped her hands. Nava sighed as she felt the arms of her mate wrap around her from behind. Nava turned and hugged her bondmate tight. She spun her around and they laughed, before sharing a tender kiss. Lilia rested her head on Nava's chest and her left hand on her pregnant belly.

"Bianca…" Lilia whispered. "That's a nice name."

000

Bianca looked through the view port in the front side of the pod as close as she could. There was a tiny spot of orange on the green and brown planet. Undoubtedly a large fire. Bianca activated her Omni-tool and, despite knowing about the energy field, tried to make a call. It was impossible. She decided to sit tight and wait for the ride to end.

000

Bianca had not taken her eyes off of the view port the entire ride down. A ride that was rapidly nearing its end. The orange haze from before had cleared to reveal tall buildings and masses of prefabs that dotted the landscape. With closer observation, Bianca could see the tiny flashes of light down in the streets: muzzle flashes. Bianca placed a hand on her pistol. She had hoped it would not come to this. Bianca reached down and grabbed the package. She secured it tightly to her belt, and made sure the zipper on the front of her leathers was pulled tight.

The pod dipped in between buildings and Bianca could see flashes of people in the buildings above and below, all running and jumping over things. Bianca began to pray. Pray that the pod would not hit anything or anyone. The fires were massive, licking at the sides of the buildings and reaching dozens of feet high. The pod began to shake as it passed through some backdraft, and fire passed over the port. Bianca felt the pod tip to the side and gravity caused her feet to dangle. A bit of sweat rolled down her forehead and dripped to the floor. Then, there was a tremendous sound, like the pod was being swallowed up by the earth. Bianca's head was wrenched to the front of the pod, and the only thing keeping her body from following was the brace that held her to the seat. The pod grumbled to a halt. Bianca groaned and stretched her neck about, trying to work out the soreness in it.

Bianca grabbed the brace with both hands and pulled it off her body by pressing the buttons that released the clamps. She stood woozily and placed a hand on her head. The view port was blacked out, so Bianca would have to open the hatch to find out where she was. Bianca approached the hatch and placed a hand over her gun. She popped the hatch open and stepped out. A powerful gust of air almost knocked Bianca over as she stared down. The pod had landed smack dab into the middle of a tall building. Bianca stood on a ledge overlooking the city, over three hundred feet down. Bianca leaned back and fell on her butt into the pod.

Bianca growled to herself and stood carefully. She crept out onto the ledge and could hear screaming and gunfire in the streets below. Bianca peered down and saw a small team of soldiers firing into an alleyway from a truck. Bianca squinted, trying to see what they were shooting at and who they were. Their armor was covered in soot, but Bianca knew them to be mercs of some kind. Then she saw the orange logo on one of their helmets. Shadow Broker forces. Bianca knelt on the ledge and trained her eyes into the darkness. Something was shrieking in there. Suddenly, one of the Broker troops was lifted up by her face mask by an invisible force. A turian. The woman's head was literally ripped from her shoulders with blood flying in all directions. One by one, the troops were ripped to shreds. Bianca was witnessing the news as it happened. She had to get down there and help. She could not see who was doing this, but she knew it was not biotics and the shrieks sounded like nothing she had ever heard.

Bianca stood straight on the ledge and shimmied to the left. She forgot about her bag in the pod and made sure that her package was clipped firmly to her belt once more. Bianca took one step at a time, clinging to the building with her palms. This was a situation she had been in hundreds of times. Bianca glanced down occasionally but mostly kept her eyes on where she was going. In her chosen direction was a rooftop garden, surrounded by a two foot wall, with a few tall growing vegetables in it. Bianca shimmied to it in a hasty, but controlled, manner. She hopped over the wall and landed in the garden. She crouched inside the greens and took a long, tired breath.

Why had Carzik chosen her? Why? Bianca had had plans. She was going to try Riley again. She knew that Riley had been shuffled out of N-school, and Bianca also knew how much that had hurt the human. Bianca had comforted Riley the best she could, but Riley just waved her off and drank her drink. Bianca bit her lip in guilt when she remembered turning on her heel, and leaving Riley to the mess. She had just been so… angry. Angry at the human for always ignoring her. Bianca had always been there for Riley. Always. Even when the human was a child, Bianca had been there for her, even if in a different way than she desired now. Bianca had babysat Riley a few times and remembered letting Riley sleep with her on a night when Riley had a nightmare. Bianca had been there when Riley had scraped her knee after she first tried to ride a bike. Bianca had even taught Riley to hold a gun… Sure, it wasn't as if Bianca did not see things as Riley did. To Riley, Bianca was like an older sister… maybe… Goddess, even if she was, why couldn't the human even give her the time of day?

Bianca hissed when she heard the door across from the garden open. The garden was situated on a balcony, and there was but one door across from it. The little balcony had a set of garden chairs and a water fountain. Bianca placed a hand on her pistol and waited to see who it was. A female soldier fell through the door supporting an old Turian on her shoulders. They collapsed on the floor of the balcony with a thud.

"Come on, Kal," The female said urgently. "Stay with me, buddy!" The turian had blood spurting from his mouth and his eyes were wide with fear. The human desperately tried to find the source of the wound, but the turian's armor was in shreds and covered in some sort of black gunk. "Look, you're going to be ok! You hear me? Kal! Kal!" The turian's choking stopped, and he slowly relaxed. The human swore and punched the ground. She fell back on her rear and took her helmet off. Bianca's eyes widened.

"Riley?!" Bianca hissed. Riley jumped about ten feet into the air and scrambled back against the wall. She trained her shotgun on the greens. Bianca held a hand out in front of her. She fell out of the garden and cried,

"It's me, Riley!" Bianca patted her chest. Riley gasped in horror.

"N-no," Riley whimpered. "N-not you too. T-that's not p-possible…" Bianca had no idea what Riley was talking about, or why she was with the broker forces. She did not care. She just cared about her human.

"Riley, listen," Bianca whispered. "It's me. Bianca. Remember?"

"Don't move!" Riley yelled. Bianca halted. "Don't you fucking move!" Bianca activated her biotics and prepared to defend herself. When Riley saw the biotics, the shotgun wavered and fell. Bianca moved forward again.

"See?" Bianca whispered. "It's me. It's me Riley."

"Y-you're real," Riley whispered with huge eyes. "T-they don't have biotics. Y-you're real." Bianca nodded and crawled to her. She opened her arms to hug Riley, but before she could, Riley threw herself into Bianca's arms. Bianca's breathing hitched when Riley hugged her. Riley had not hugged Bianca like this since she was a teenager. Riley buried her face in Bianca's neck, and her breathing caused Bianca's skin to tingle.

"W-what's wrong?" Bianca asked. "What's happening here? Why are you here?" Riley trembled like a little girl, and she swallowed hard.

"T-there are these… A.I.'s that are killing everyone," Riley whispered urgently. "They look like regular people of all races, but they're A.I.'s! A lot of them cloak, so… so we cannot see them… They tore everyone to pieces." Bianca pushed Riley back against the wall and inspected her for any wounds. Unsurprisingly, she was fine. Bianca liked to think the human was invincible.

"Don't worry, Riley," Bianca hushed. "I'll get you out of here-"

"No!" Riley said firmly, releasing her hold on the asari. "I have to find Shep… Smith. Dayna Smith." Bianca blinked and furrowed her brows.

"Why are you looking for her?" Bianca asked.

"She's a friend," Riley answered carefully. Bianca pursed her lips.

"Do not lie, Riley," Bianca said seriously. "I know you far too well for you to lie to me. Besides! What are you doing here?! I thought you were back on Earth!" Riley gave her an odd look.

"No…" Riley whispered. "I… I told you. I signed on as a merc."

"When did you tell me that?!" Bianca asked incredulously.

"When you visited me after I failed the Villa," Riley said.

"Ha!" Bianca scoffed. "You didn't tell me anything that night. All you did was push me away. Like you always do nowadays…" Riley gave Bianca a confused look.

"Bee," Riley said quietly. Bianca looked at her when the human used her nickname for her. "I… I did not realize you felt this way." Bianca let out a long breath of air. The screams and fires had not stopped down below and she felt exposed up here.

"Who is that?" Bianca asked.

"That's Kal," Riley answered, not taking her eyes off of the asari. "He's… I guess he's like my CO. Bit of an a-hole."

"When did all this start?" Bianca asked. She grabbed hold of the turian's arms and dragged him into the garden. Riley stood slowly and scratched the back of her neck.

"I… well my team and I went out to scout out the area around the main settlement," Riley said. "Shit kind of hit the fan almost immediately. First, our own A.I. ran off in the middle of the night. That was June. I do not know what happened to her. Probably killing people right now. Then, Sh… Smith ordered me and a turian named Vil to go back here and look for her. That's when Vil attacked me. Turns out she was an A.I. as well. I killed her and… Look. These A.I.'s are the ones who have been attacking all those colonies. They harvest all the internal organs and shit, and put them into their own bodies! They're cyborgs! I raced back here as fast as I could and tried to get Kal to prepare everyone, but it was too late. They were here. They offloaded from a ship and right away began to kill everyone. They… they tore them to shreds. I even saw a few of them try and… eat.. eat the colonists. They do not all do that, and I saw a few of them fight each other. I guess that's kind of taboo among them. Kal, myself, and his volus assistant tried to fight, but we were forced to run. There are hundreds of them! That was yesterday. Since then, the volus was dragged into a subway… Kal took a round… and I was forced to… Look, a few of the V.I.'s resemble a person that I know. I mean, they're perfect replicas. They talk the same, walk the same, and look the same… It's crazy. I had to kill them."

Bianca turned to Riley, and pushed her inside the building. Inside was a rather simple apartment with olive colored walls and second hand appliances. There was a single dining room table with a vase of flowers on it. The dining room opened up into a cozy living room, with a few windows and a vid screen. The person who had lived here must have been an artist, for there were multiple paintings on the wall and a desk was shoved up against a wall underneath a light. The desk had multiple sheets of drawings and scrap paper. Bianca moved into the living room and shut the blinds over the windows.

"Bee," Riley said. "What are you doing here?" Bianca turned and passed her. She shut the door and covered all the windows.

"I was on liberty," Bianca said. "I was prepared to spend the next two weeks getting fat. But, no. Matriarch Carzik, a strategist, needed my help to deliver and retrieve a package for her. She promised me extra pay and a party for the girls on base. How could I say no?"

"Big Heart Bianca," Riley nodded. Bianca scowled.

"Yeah," She muttered. "Anyway, I was told to give this package to a human named Dayna Smith. A gift from your Shadow Broker. When I give it to her, I am supposed to get her off world and back to Thessia." Riley sat down on the couch and began to think.

"Why does the Shadow Broker...?" Riley whispered to herself. That's when she realized it. Shepard knew the Shadow Broker, personally. It made sense after all. Why else would the Shadow Broker care so deeply about Shepard's wellbeing, unless, at the very least, they knew her?

"You know Smith?" Bianca asked.

"Yeah," Riley nodded. "She's a friend. She has kids. We need to get to her."

"We're going to," Bianca said. "Otherwise the Broker is going to kill me."

"The last time I saw her was out in the mud fields," Riley said. "By now she may be to the golf courses or the mountains."

"Golf courses first," Bianca said. "We'll check there first."

"Okay."

"With luck, we can escape the planet without having to fight anyone," Bianca said. "I have my cloak with me. You?"

"I do," Riley said. "But there is no way we'll get past without having to use our weapons. They'll see us."

"Is there any way we can get transport?" Bianca asked. "Any workable skycars?"

"God, maybe?" Riley asked. "There's the lot down there near the base of the building, but I'm pretty sure the A.I.'s destroyed them."

"All of them?" Bianca asked. Riley shrugged.

"I dunno," Riley said honestly. Bianca placed her hands on her hips and took a deep breath.

"I was really hoping for some peace and quiet," She muttered. Riley got up and nudged her.

"Friends?" She asked. Bianca looked at her.

"Of course," Came a reply. "I'm just worried about you. Mercenary groups are all confusion, lack of supplies, and poor leadership. You know what kind of people join these groups right? Losers, debtors, addicts… all of them." Riley shrugged.

"What else was I going to do?" Riley asked. "I couldn't face the guys back in the corps again. And let's be honest, I am not all that smart. What job would I even have a chance at?" Bianca crossed her arms.

"You do not give yourself enough credit," She said. "How about Police work? Even that is better than this. And if you didn't want that, you could always come and live with m…" Riley cocked her head.

"With…?" She asked expectantly. Bianca turned a deep shade of violet.

"Me," She croaked. "I… I mean I have an apartment off base. Armali is very nice, you may like it." Riley smiled.

"Thessia?" She asked. "Nah… I would be the only human-"

"Well, no, there are other races there," She said urgently, her mind completely cleared of the mission at hand. Riley had this effect on her. "Lots of humans!" She began to babble on about all the things that Thessia had for them both to do, how nice it was this time of year, etc. Riley placed a finger on Bianca's lips to silence her.

"Thanks, Bee," She said. "You're a good friend." She turned and missed Bianca's pained expression. Was that a yes?

"Well?" Bianca asked. "Is that a yes?" Riley looked over her shoulder.

"What?"

Bianca swore to herself mentally.

"Nothing," Bianca growled with clenched hands. "Forget it." Riley looked at her again.

"Why are you-?"

"Where's the skycar lot?" Bianca asked with an emotionless face. Riley pursed her lips.

"Bee-"

"Where?" Bianca asked with clenched teeth.

"Just out the front doors," Riley said defensively. "I had to drag Kal through it. Idiot ran right into one of those A.I's."

"Why don't you get a bit of sleep?" Bianca asked. She checked her chron. "We'll leave in an hour. Should be dark by then." Riley slowly sat back down on the couch and began to take her armor off. She needed the freedom of movement more than sleep. Bianca went and stood near the windows and peered through the cracks between the blinds with crossed arms. She could feel Riley's gaze drilling holes into her back. Maybe everyone was right? Maybe she should just give up trying to be with Riley? She was ecstatic to see Riley again, could not believe that they met up like this. Coincidence? Or some higher power? It was as if this was all in some crazy story with a crazy writer who thought there was nothing wrong with crazy coincidences… How else would Bianca just come across Riley on this rooftop apartment?

"Bianca?" Riley asked.

"Yes?" Came a reply.

"Sit with me?" Bianca glanced back. Dammit.

"Shut up," Bianca said firmly when she sat next to a smug human. Riley curled up with the asari and hugged her.

"I didn't say anything," Riley said innocently. "Hey… come on how can you be mad at this face?" Bianca draped an arm around Riley's shoulders and looked away defiantly.

"Shut up," She repeated.

"Big Heart Bianca," Riley mumbled.


	14. Chapter 14 Want you Home

Bianca stood from the couch. Riley was fast asleep after about a minute lying next to her. Bianca decided to look around the drab apartment for a little while. She noticed a dark hallway leading from the living room and proceeded to creep down it. The screams and gunfire mixed with the thunder and crackle of the lightning storm outside, casting eerie light between the shades over the windows. Bianca looked back and forth between the walls of the hall. There was one door at the end of it and a door straight to Bianca's left. Bianca slowly opened the door and saw that it was actually the front door. Whoever lived there before had disguised the front door to look like any other one in the apartment. Bianca was not sure why the owner had done so, but the thought left her mind just as quick as it had entered it.

Bianca looked into the room at the far end and discovered the bedroom. It was a small room with a single queen sized bed inside. The previous owner must have been single. The room had a vid screen on the wall next to it and a large, picture window with the shades drawn over it. Bianca stood at the foot of the bed and to her left was the bathroom. Bianca entered it and found a rather large shower slash bathtub that was most likely the highest end product in the apartment. It had jets, different scented soap dispensers... you name it, it had it. Bianca guessed that the owner must have been both a recluse and a clean freak. But then where were they? Had the person been snatched off their balcony? Who knew?

"What are you up to?" Riley asked from behind. Bianca turned and crossed her arms.

"What are _you _up to?" Bianca countered. "I am rested. You need some sleep."

"Nah," Riley shrugged. "I don't need it. I just really want to get to it."

"Riley-"

"Bee," Riley sighed. "I'm twenty six. I do not need a babysitter anymore." Surprisingly… that statement hurt.

"I am not babysitting you," Bianca said firmly. "I merely care about you. Very much so." Luckily the lights were off in the bathroom, hiding the commando's blush.

"Thanks, Mom," Riley chuckled. "Come on. Let's hop to it."

"Riley," Bianca warned. "Please take a rest. For me? _Please_?" Riley looked at Bianca for a few moments before giving a brisk nod.

"For you," Riley said. Bianca felt giddy at the words! Riley's arms were around Bianca before she could gasp. "I missed you, Bee." Bianca felt her heart racing a mile a minute, but she managed to hug Riley back.

"I missed you too." Bianca led Riley to the bed and threw the covers back. Riley slid in and gave Bianca an odd look when the asari attempted to tuck her in like when she was a child.

"What?" Bianca smiled. Riley just grinned and rolled over.

"I love you," Riley sighed. Bianca's breath hitched. "Wake me in a half hour?" Bianca babbled,

"O-oh! Y-yes!" Whatever doubts Bianca had been feeling about her chances with Riley had been destroyed by Riley's words. Sure, they did not carry the weight that Bianca was hoping for, but, by the Goddess, she did not care how long it would take. _Riley will be mine…!_

000

Bianca waited for a half hour. She reentered the bedroom to find her human fast asleep, letting out soft snores. Bianca licked her lips and knelt beside Riley. She wasn't sure what to do to wake her. Should she try what she had done when Riley was a child? (Blow a fart into the girl's stomach.) That would just be awkward for them both. Maybe… a gentle nudge? Or… maybe a kiss on the forehead? Bianca lowered her head and hovered above Riley's face. The closer she got, the more she focused on those lips rather than the forehead… Bianca blinked. Goddess she was hopeless around this woman! Bianca groaned and gave Riley a gentle nudge.

"Riley… Riley, wake up," Bianca whispered. Riley's eyes snapped open and she sat up.

"Time to go?" Riley asked.

"Yeah," Bianca said. "Get suited up and meet me by the front door." Bianca left the human to get ready and made sure the package was on her hip. Bianca unhooked the strap that restrained her pistol in its holster, readying it for a fast draw. She flattened herself against the wall, and ever so slowly, she slid open the front door. The hallway outside was pitch dark aside from one light flickering at the far end. The hallway's wallpaper was a faded green and brown, and several cracks littered the walls and ceiling. Bianca could see that the hallway was clean of any bodies, so she figured that the A.I.'s had not come this far up as of yet. Bianca slipped one foot out of the door and looked from one end of the hall to the other. The fires still burned outside, but the gunfire sounded farther and farther away, as well as the screams. Perhaps the fighting had moved on to the outer edges of the main settlement?

"Riley?" Bianca hissed to behind her. "Hurry up!"

"Why…? I was just trying to finish up me makeup!" Riley teased. "You cannot rush these things…"

"Riley!"

"Alright, alright," The human chuckled. Bianca felt the woman's hand rest upon her shoulder. "Ready to go. The sky car lot is right out the front doors at the bottom. I say we cloak, look for a skycar that still runs, and make a bee line for the golf courses."

"Agreed," Bianca said. "But when we find Smith… how are we going to get off of this planet?"

"Uh, I do not know," Riley said. "I didn't think that far ahead. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it." Bianca slowly nodded and initiated the cloak on her Omni-tool. Riley did the same, and they both slipped into the hallway.

"Keep quiet," Bianca whispered as softly and slowly as she could. "They could be right down the hall-" Suddenly Riley tripped, swore, and fell right on top of Bianca, which deactivated both of their cloaks. The asari was now in considerable pain with a woman in armor lying on top of her.

"Ah, I did not see that chip out on the floor!" Riley muttered. "Fuck! Err, oh shit, Bee? Are you okay?" She climbed off of the asari and gently lifted her to her feet. Bianca's eyes watered due to the pain and Riley sheepishly brushed her off. Riley rested a hand on Bianca's cheek and looked her over.

"I… I think I'm okay," Bianca groaned. "Goddess, Riley!"

"Sorry," Riley whispered. "My bad, my bad…" Bianca's face was so close to Riley's she could feel her breath against her skin. In her armor, Riley stood a few inches taller that Bianca.

"Come on, Riley," Bianca grinned. "We had better get going."

"Yeah," Riley said, her own grin faltering. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I am," Bianca confirmed while simultaneously activating her cloak. Rile activated her own cloak. She followed Bianca closely, making sure to keep an eye out for cracks in the floor this time.

000

Was it her, or did Bianca look…_ very_ lovely tonight? Riley stayed close to the shimmer in the air in front of her and tried to focus on the image of the asari in front of her. When Bianca had been so close to her just then… Riley realized just how much she missed her Bee. God, how long had they known each other? Since Riley was _born_, she was pretty sure. Riley smiled when she remembered Bianca's other nickname: _Banana_. Banana had come around when Riley was just an infant trying to learn words. She could not pronounce Bianca correctly, so she resorted to Banana. Then when Riley turned thirteen, Banana became 'childish,' so it was shorted to 'Bee.' Riley grinned underneath her cloak and tapped the shimmer in front of her.

"Banana," Riley whispered. She heard a tiny giggle.

"When was the last time you called me that?" Bianca whispered. They reached a dark stairwell. It had wooden steps and cobwebs that stuck everywhere. The light from the other direction of the hallway gave none here, casting the stairs into an almost pitch black. Bianca stepped down the stairs one at a time, balancing her weight to create the least amount of noise possible.

"The day I turned thirteen and decided it was childish," Riley replied.

"Yes…" Bianca sighed. "You were no fun after that."

"Funny," Riley smiled. It was good to have Bianca around again. They made a great team at times, and Riley trusted Bianca with her life! The trip down the rest of the stairs was met with no resistance on the A.I.'s parts, and all was quiet inside the building. On the outside however, Riley could hear the blazing of fires and the monsoon raging away. It was not until they reached the front doors that they saw an A.I. Bianca gently rested her palm flat against the glass pane on the door. She pushed it open as gently as she could. Suddenly there was a deep throated growl. Bianca's eyes narrowed. The car lot in front of the apartment building was more or less packed tight with skycars. They varied in color and size, and some were burning husks. Actually, most were. There were very few cars that even looked drivable. Out of the shadows appeared the largest varren that Bianca had ever seen. It looked one hundred percent real, with saber teeth, and large, milky eyes. Its pelt was a blood red color, and its stomach and legs were a creamy tan color. The only evidence that it was a synthetic was a tear in its left hind leg. A round must have grazed the abomination during some fighting, revealing the metal underneath.[er1]

Varren A.I.'s were supposed to be the next big thing, or at least that was what the ad had said over two decades ago. They had been built to replace organic household pets, for they did not require grooming, feeding, or cleaning up after. However, when Synthetic Insight's released their newest product onto the galactic market, they were forced to recall the animals due to several reports of varren A.I.'s 'eating my mailman.' Bianca remembered that the A.I.'s came in all sorts of sizes ranging from pocket sized to XXXL, which this particular beast obviously was. Goddess, what had that company been thinking when they began production on these things? The varren before her was the same height as the car.

"I saw a few of those things earlier," Riley breathed. "That SOB can chomp a man in half."

"We can either try and take it out _quietly_, or wait for it to move on. Your call." Bianca waited for Riley's answer and at the same time watched the Varren sniff a car curiously. _Since when to A.I.'s smell things? Oh yeah, since they began to harvest body parts…_

"Let's kill it," Riley said. "If we let it go, it may find stragglers… Kal's assistant, a volus, was dragged into a subway tunnel by one of these. Who knew those gas bags could scream so loud?" Bianca slithered out into the lot and settled onto her stomach in the grass. She rested her head on its side and kept her vision on the varren. She gently moved one hand forward, and pressed it calmly on the pavement. Then another hand. Then a foot, followed by the other. She literally slithered across the pavement like a snake. Riley could actually see Bianca quiet clearly, for the rain drops trailed off of her cloak making her look pretty visible. Riley watched Bianca slide across the ground and noticed her legs were spread and her midsection weaved like an exotic dancer as she placed one hand in front of the other. When Bianca got back up, she would be no doubt soaked… and freezing. Maybe Riley could help warm her up… Riley blinked. What was she doing?

Riley got down and crouched (much less gracefully). She took one step after the other, and fought to keep her eyes off of the sleek form that was pressed against the ground. Just then, Bianca stopped. The rain was deafening, and the thunder that boomed across the sky was so loud it made Riley's ears ring even inside her helmet. Perfect cover. Riley watched as the form against the ground reached back and grabbed at its waist. Bianca took out her pistol, taking care to keep the barrel pointed down so that it did not shine. She placed her elbows against the pavement and aimed carefully at the varren's head. She waited, and Riley watched from a crouched position right above her. The varren raised its head, and Bianca raised her pistol. Riley did not need to see her face to know that Bianca was focused, and her senses were open to all surroundings. At this proximity, Bianca could hear the varren's breathing. She kept her own breathing shallow and kept her lungs relatively empty.

A flash of lightning struck across the cloud covered night sky, and was followed shortly after by a loud boom. Bianca squeezed the one time while the thunder boomed, and the varren fell like a sack of meat, which really it kind of was. Riley couldn't help but grin under her helmet when she saw the hole in its cranium.

"That was fucking gorgeous, Bee," Riley whispered. "My god…"

"I missed. I was aiming for the heart," Bianca breathed. She raised herself into a crouching position and crept foreword. Riley was close behind with her shotgun ready. They began to weave in and out of the skycars, keeping an eye out for more A.I.'s. Riley turned the corner and almost shit herself. A varren was right there, sniffing a body. He was not three feet away and just as big as the last one. Bianca froze, and placed on hand on Riley's shoulder. Riley slowly raised her shotgun and aimed for the creature's head. She waited. A thundering boom erupted from the sky, and Riley flicked the safety off with a gentle click. She waited once more. A second strike of thunder echo-roared across the sky, giving enough cover for Riley to fire one slug into the beast's head, which exploded all over the place.

"Excellent, Riley," Bianca murmured.

"I aim to please," Riley returned in a cocky whisper. They continued through the lot, searching for a workable vehicle. Bianca placed one hand on Riley's shoulder and gripped twice. Riley cocked her head and look in the direction that her partner was. There it was, a seemingly intact skycar, with the engine running, and the owner sticking half out of the wind shield. The engine had been masked by the thunder and rain, but now the two of them were close enough to hear it. The man had been ripped out of his car by a varren, for it was the only thing that would mangle the body this much before taking any organs.

"Cover me," Riley whispered. "When I reach the car, I will turn and cover you. Look for my red dot. I'll drive, and you can have my shotgun when we're in the air."

"Gotcha."

Riley crept forward one step at a time. She reached the vehicle without issue, and turned to face where Bianca was crouched. She rested her shotgun on the hood and clicked her laser pointer off and on in a flash. Riley scanned the area around Bianca and watched the rooftops. The asari made it to her position without any trouble. Riley passed Bianca the shotgun and handed her two thermal clips, which Bianca slid into the bandolier around her waist.

"Do you have the package?" Riley whispered. Bianca felt around and took a sigh of relief.

"Yes," She breathed in answer. "I am all set." Riley gently opened the front door. Bianca slid in and got into the passenger seat. Riley got in and shut the door. The car was a simple two seater one with nothing fancy to its name. Riley breathed an apology and pushed the body of the owner of the car onto the pavement. She gripped the wheel and turned to the passenger seat.

"Okay," She whispered. "They do not use guns as far as I know, so we do not have to worry about getting shot down. Once we clear the buildings we should be okay. Until then, watch out. Bianca we don't have a windshield. It's going to get cold. If it helps, you can have my helmet to keep your face warm until we land."

"No thanks," Bianca replied softly. "I should be alright."

"Just in case…" Riley whispered. "How about we take turns? I'll take it first, then after a little while, I'll pass it and my gloves. Okay?" She couldn't see Bianca's smile.

"Alright, Riley," Bianca whispered. "Let's go before they hear us. Drive fast and as high as you can. The wind may be an issue on the car, but you should be able to compensate." Riley nodded and took a deep breath. The minute she took off, something would be attacking them, she just knew it. Shit…

000

Shepard stood behind Ramirez as they watched the batarian A.I.'s memories via an Omni-tool that was connected to the head. Puppy Rambo was still in Claire's firm arms and had taken to sniffing her and licking her constantly. She finally relented and set him down in one of the rooms of the prefab that they were in. She placed him on the floor next to both the heater and a bowl of dog food that she had scrounged. She towered over the husky and said firmly,

"Now you stay and get warm, eat a bit… I'll be back in a few minutes to check on you." Rambo looked up at her in a sitting position and yapped a reply. He wagged his tail and began to eat his food. Claire tossed him a treat and left the room. She closed the door behind her, ensuring the animal's safety. She could not wait for Inna to see her new dog! Even Liara had never seen one on person! Oh, Rambo would be the center of all the attention with an entire family of asari pining over him.

"This is some creepy shit, Smith," Ramirez whistled. The monsoon outside was roaring away, but the warmth inside the house made it very cozy. This made Claire more and more homesick. She cherished the days that a huge storm would roll in and the power of her home would go out. How they all huddled around a candle lit space and told ghost stories… Little Benezia sitting in her lap while her older sister sat in her mother's. And then the most recent one, where Inna had been cuddled tight between Liara and Claire, feeling all the love in the world, while Rose and Lydia snuggled under a blanket. Benezia had read a book to them all, a story about ancient legends in asari culture, which had actually been quite entertaining. At least to Claire it had been. She never tired of seeing her daughters read and walk and talk and _exist_. When the others were fast asleep and Benezia looked up with an annoyed look, Claire had been listening with rapt attention, much to Benezia's pleasure. Claire slid over to Benezia and the snuggled under their own blanket. Claire remembered rubbing her daughter's crests and listening to that beautiful voice. Claire started to get lost in Benezia's voice, and began listening more to the sound than the words themselves.

"What gave you the hint?" Shepard asked. "The synthesis thing or the fact that they are harvesting our body parts? Or maybe the size of their ship? Or maybe this 'Empress' person?" Synthesis. Claire had not heard that word since that little prick on the crucible had told her about it. Someone must have been sacrificed to give these synthetics organic traits. But who? And why had that not spread to everyone like that douchecopter said it would? Had the A.I's somehow harnessed the energy and made it so that it focused on a single being instead of the galaxy? And that raised the question, how had they achieved synthesis? The crucible had been dismantled fully after the war, and the Citadel returned to its rightful place. Had the A.I.'s seen the copy of the crucible plans and built their own? Who knew?

"What do we do now?" Ramirez asked. "We have no communications, Vil, Riley, and June are missing… FUBAR."

"FUMTU," Shepard corrected.

"Amen," Ramirez nodded, crossing his chest like as if he was at church. "Any ideas?"

"To be honest?" Claire asked. "I have no fucking idea. We would have to either board their vessel or call in reinforcements, which is impossible. As for boarding the vessel, I've only ever done that with three, not two."

"Wait," Ramirez stopped. "You boarded a vessel with only three men?"

"Well three including me," Shepard said. "It was a geth dreadnaught."

"Wow."

"Get to my level, bitch." Suddenly there was the drone of an engine growling towards the settlement. It was obviously a skycar. Claire took out her sidearm and looked through the front windows of the prefabs. Outside, a skycar dove low into the settlement and swerved to miss the tree in the middle. Claire knew instantly that this was an organic, so she lowered her gun just enough so that she did not look hostile. She opened the front door and stepped out onto the front porch. The skycar landed with a thud onto the ground. Shepard waited expectantly to see who got out.

"Who goes there?!" Claire yelled over the monsoon. Claire's eyes widened when she saw a familiar copper haired person get out. "_Riley_?!" The woman snapped her head up and grinned.

"Smith!" She laughed. "God it feels like ages since I last saw you!" The woman climbed the porch and brought Shepard into a crushing hug.

"Is this Smith?" Asked a new voice. Shepard looked back down, and saw an asari pull Riley's helmet from her head.

"That's me," Shepard replied.

"My name is Captain Bianca Offee, Echo Squad, third flock, Armali Commandos, Thessia," Bianca said tiredly as if this was how she greeted everyone. "I have a package for you from the Shadow Broker. I was told to deliver this to you or my head would be served on a platter."

"Smith, baby," Riley laughed. "You will never believe this, but I actually know this asari! Remember how I told you about Bianca back at the base?"

"I remember, Riles," Shepard grinned. "Your best friend I believe."

"Riley," Ramirez said from behind. "Did you ever find June? And where is Vil?" Riley's face visibly darkened.

"Let's go inside," Bianca suggested. Shepard nodded and took the package from the Commando. Everyone went inside and sat down in the living room.

"Guys, I'll be right back," Shepard said. "I'm going to see what this is." Shepard entered the room where Rambo was situated and sat on the bed. Rambo pranced about the room shamelessly, sniffing at things and nibbling at an old boot. Shepard gulped and opened the box. Claire groaned and let out an exasperated sigh. Inside was a vial, syringe, and a playback recording. The vial obviously contained the Cure, and the syringe was used to administer it.

"Goddess, why did she send this?" Shepard asked incredulously. She grabbed the recording and plugged it into her Omni-tool. She connected it to her helmet and slid the thing on so that there was no chance over anyone outside hearing. Shepard watched as Liara's face appeared over her visor and began to talk.

"Shepard. As you are most likely aware, Akuze has gone dark. You are also most likely wondering why I have sent you one of the Cure vials. I will tell you. I. Am. Scared. I want you home, and the girls are worrying terribly. I hate to guilt you, but Inna was in tears yesterday, Benezia was close to the same, and Rose is starting to get little panic attacks. We are all scared sick. I want you home. Now. No buts. No arguments. I do not care about those silly little friends you have made, or if people are dying. I. Want. You. Home. Now. The commando _will _take you to the spaceport, and you _are_ to lie low until my stealth ship arrives in two days' time from the minute you open the message. You _will_ be on that ship, Claire. I know what you are like, and I know you will not leave these people behind, but I am your _wife_, Claire Shepard! That vial is a precautionary measure, just in case. Dammit, I do not care if you get a tiny scratch, you will take that Cure if anything happens. _Anything_! And if I hear you gave it to someone else, by the Goddess Claire I will be sure to have that Loony bin _rebuilt _under _your _name. _Shepard's Hospital for the Deranged_. How does that sound? Home. Now." The message cut in and out for a second, and Liara was suddenly no longer pleading in this. She had tears on her cheeks.

"Claire… Please come home. T-the girls miss you… _I_ miss you… I am worried sick about you, my love. I… please, Claire. _Please._ I cannot lose you with all the hope we have been given. I want to grow old with you Claire. Please… do not take that away from me. Come home… I love you. The girls love you… _Please_…" The message ended leaving Shepard sick to her stomach. She had guessed everything that Liara had said already, but was she serious about rebuilding the boarding school? She wouldn't really do that, would she?

"Knock, knock," Riley whispered. She entered the room uninvited and sat down in the chair opposite the bed. She noticed Rambo, and her face lit up. "Ohmygoshlookathimhe'ssocute!" Rambo bounded into her lap, and was petted and scratched on his belly. Riley began to tell Shepard about what happened with Vil, and how the city was in ashes. Shepard nodded and took it all in without a word, and nodded once more when Riley told her that June was still missing.

"Hey… you okay?" Riley asked. Shepard looked up.

"Yeah…" Shepard sighed. "Just… family matters."

"Sucks, sister," Riley agreed. "Uh… actually I have a question… only you can answer."

"Hit me."

"How do you… err… approach an asari?" Riley asked. Claire thought for a moment.

"They like honesty," Claire suggested. "When I met Liara, she and I were completely honest for the most part, and it turned into something special. Why? I thought you said you and Bianca were just friends."

"Well, I did," Riley admitted. "But seeing her again… and seeing her fight… I'm really… appreciating those lovely purple curves a lot more."

"You sound surprised."

"I am!" Riley chuckled. "I've never had a thing for aliens you know? I've always been more human oriented. I've never looked at Bee like this before. Seems crazy, really."

"Just tell her, Riley," Shepard shrugged. "It worked for me."

"Do you think she'll think it's weird?" Riley asked. "I mean she was there when I was born. She fuckin' held me right after I was popped out!"

"That's nice, Riley."

"Well?"

"Well, what?"

"Do you think she'd think it's weird?" Riley asked.

"I dunno," Shepard said. "The only way to find out is to ask. God, you remind me of Garrus."

"What the fuck do I have in common with a bird?" Riley asked.

"Well you're both smart asses for starts."

"Whatever you say, Granny."

"Putz."

"Flabby."

"Drinker."

"Bestest buddy."

"I hate you," Shepard sighed a she hugged the other human. "But I am sure glad you got outta there okay."

"Aw… I feel so loved. See? I have a way of sticking to people huh?"

"Yeah! Like a barnacle."

"Or like a best friend."

"Or like a pimple."

"Or like a sister!"

"Or like a mole. Like one of those big, hairy ones that look like a third nipple."

"Do you always hug people then insult them?"

"Only the people I like," Shepard grinned. That was when all hell broke loose, and everything went dark.

000

June shivered under the heavy rain of the monsoon. She didn't like this. Not one bit. March had forced her to come along on one of the harvesting missions, and as of yet, June has been able to make excuses for not killing anyone. Now, she would not be able to. She lay in the mud with March and five other A.I.'s who were all itching to attack this settlement. It was a round one with only a few buildings. A skycar had landed there an hour ago, and the lights were on in one of the buildings.

"One of my men was here just today," March began, talking to the whole group. "He was supposed to report back several hours ago, but he never did. These are soldiers, armed and trained. Nothing like the average organic. These one's have a little bite to go along with the bark. Move fast, rush them, and take them by surprise. Do. Not. Kill. Them. Yet. I want to kill em' slow. I want to hear their screams before they die." The other's grumbled their agreement and followed March over the rise and into the settlement. June whimpered and followed, wishing she didn't have these parts in her body. Wishing she was back home in the Alliance barracks with her sisters, or better yet, with Shepard. She had hoped that Shepard might take her home with her and let June become part of the family. Now, there was no chance of that. June was an abomination now.

June stood close to March as she peered into the windows. The other's circled around the back and waited. March snarled with delight and kicked the door down. She rushed in and grabbed an organic by the shoulders. An asari. The asari fought but was knocked out by a blow to the head. June swiftly entered the dwelling and gasped with horror. Riley. Ramirez. Shepard. H-how was this possible? Riley and Shepard were dragged into the main room, both unconscious. Ramirez tried to fight but was knocked out as well. All that was left was a shivering organic animal, who yapped and growled. One of the A.I.'s tried to kick it, but June snatched him away. The dog licked June's face and the A.I. held him close to her chest.

"Who first?" March cackled. She grabbed the asari and picked her up. "Ooh… she's a good looking one, huh?"

"W-wait, March!" June cried. March stomped her foot like a spoiled brat and huffed.

"What?" March groaned.

"W-why n-not take them back to the ship?" June asked.

"Ha!" March laughed. "Why would we do that, Stupid?"

"W-well i-if you w-want to t-torture them," June stammered. "W-why not d-do it in front of the w-whole ship? T-then, maybe the E-empress could see, and she would… look upon you favorably?" March considered these words.

"That's a pretty good idea," agreed a batarian A.I.

"Yeah," said a turian one.

"Shut up!" March snapped. "You think this would work June? Would the Empress like me more?"

"O-of course, M-March!" June nodded. She had to buy Shepard time. As much time as possible. "T-think about it!" March paced for a few seconds, and laughed.

"Good thinking, Sister," March giggled. "You four! Carry them. We are going to have fun!"

000

"What is the meaning of this?" cried a Human A.I. "Organics?! On the ship!" March bowed to him, for he was in the Empress's circle. He would decide where the prisoners went. They stood in the shuttle bay, and March's group was offloading the prisoners.

"It occurred to me," March said. "That those aboard the ship might enjoy a little show. Perhaps we could torture them in the mess hall?"

"Out of the question!" The man roared. "When She hears about this, you all will-" Suddenly the man stopped. He began to convulse and his eyes shot open with red light. The skin on his body glew, illuminating the metal skeleton underneath. He then brightened and said,

"Allow these men to take them to the prison block. You. March. She wishes to speak with you in her private chambers. This man will lead you there." Four heavily armored A.I.'s of turian descent came and took the prisoners in their arms. June still held the puppy in her arms and held on to him tightly. She watched as March was led away by another turian. March looked back and smiled brilliantly to June, who looked back with fear. June was soon alone, by the shuttle. June swallowed hard and sank to the ground. She petted the dog absently as she tried to comprehend all this. It was deafening, it hurt her head. Suddenly she felt the dog lick her face. June looked down at him, and he began to lick her all over the face. June rubbed his head affectionately, grateful that she could now help someone rather that hurt someone.

000

Shepard groaned. It was dark. Very dark. Something had… had hit her… over the head… It was freezing. Claire winced at the sound of biotics striking metal with a clang. Claire groaned again and tried to sit up. Suddenly she could hear urgent voices, speaking a language she could not understand. Had her translator broken? Claire felt a pair of hands grip her shoulders and then move up her cheeks. The language was an odd mumbling sound… Claire gently opened her eyes.

"Err… Ahem… Are… You… alright?" Asked a voice. It was the once who had been talking in the strange tongue. Claire's vision was very blurry, but it slowly cleared out. There was a lot of red. It filled her vision. What was this? Claire blinked several times, and her eyes widened to the size of golf balls.

_"R-Rose?!"_ Claire gasped. The woman who stared back at her, _the red asari_, blinked and cocked her head. Her eyes were deep, rich brown. She had tiny freckles that dotted her cheeks. She wore a brown jumpsuit with grey shoulder pads. It was skin tight, and left none to the imagination. Suddenly,_ another_ red asari appeared behind the first. Her eyes were a deep violet, and she looked much older than the first. She wore a similar outfit. The first took Shepard's hand and looked at her with concern.

"Who is Rose?"

A/N: FUBAR: Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition.

FUMTU: Fucked Up More Than Usual.


	15. Chapter 15 Another Shepard Gone

The earthen sky shined over the lush meadow, with flowers waving peacefully in the air. The grass was a perfect green, with tiny flakes of dew forming on their ends. A rainbow stretched across the bright blue sky with wispy clouds lazily floating by. In the distance, mountains could be seen. They rose thousands of feet up, and their caps were a brilliant white. The temperature was a lovely sixty two degrees and the meadow birds chirped happily.

With sweat rolling down his face, a soldier ran across the meadow with his rifle tight to his chest. His boots thudded across the grass, and his pack bounced on his back. His breathing was ragged as he raced to his destination. The desert tan color of his gear stood out, and the black stocking cap on his head clung to his body. His pace never slowed as he ran up a rise and looked down into the field below.

Gunfire blazed across the battlefield. A chopper flew overhead with a whup-whup of its blades as they beat against the air keeping it aloft. The battlefield was riddled with pock marks where rockets and mines had gone off and the sounds of battle overtook the once beautiful meadow. The soldier raced towards a dug out trench and hopped down into it. He aimed the laser guide on his rifle ahead of him and the chopper swooped in and rocketed the position that had been selected. The soldier kept running and dove forward as two enemies sprang from cover. The soldier aimed his rifle and mowed them both down with two sharp pulls.

The soldier got up and ran ahead. He replaced his spent mag with a new one as he hopped out of the trench. The helicopter hovered overhead, its gunner firing large rounds into an enemy position. Instead of marking the target, the soldier jumped high and grappled the wall and with a quick burst of speed. He landed in a crouch and shot an enemy in the face. The compound was swarming with enemies, and before the soldier could do anything, he was mowed down from seven different directions, while the helicopter pilot beat him with a wave of profanity. Glowing letters appeared aross the man's corpse: 'Battlemaster221 KILLED(AK-74m) ToxicMittens.'

Inna dropped her controller onto the floor in frustration. It was bad enough that she had a gamer tag like that (She had made it when she was a lot younger and was unwilling to make a new account), but it was even worse when she sucked when she played as it. Her friends online would surely laugh at her this time.

Inna stood from her chair and flopped down on her bed. She just couldn't concentrate anymore. She loved Battlefield, but there was a lot on her mind at the moment. Inna gently began to zip and unzip her new hoodie, just staring up at the ceiling. This was usually the time when Daddy came and sat with her. Talked with her and even played vid games with her. Inna sighed with a shaky breath of air. The Goddess herself could only guess how much Inna missed her father.

Inna hopped off the bed and opened her door. She padded out into the hallway and went for the stairs. She went up them and into the living room, only to see Rose and Lydia making out on the couch. Rose was laying on top of the purple asari and said asari had her hands on Rose's ass. Inna grimaced and made a bee line for her mother's office. She jumped in and shut the door quickly behind her.

"Oh!" Liara gasped, jumping at the loud shut of the door.

"Sorry, Momma," Inna said sheepishly. "Rose and Lydia are making out on the couch, again." Liara rolled her eyes and opened her arms. She was seated at her desk, most likely handling some sort of business. Inna sat in Liara's lap, and the older maiden closed her arms around her. Inna looked at what her mother was working on.

"D-do you know anything about how Daddy is?" Inna asked softly.

"The commando arrived on Akuze," Liara replied. "That is all that I know at the present time. I am so sorry, Baby. I mustered all the troops I had for this; I do not have much left. My private army is not very large at all. I have simply not needed them in the past."

"Oh…"

"Don't worry, Love," Liara soothed. "She will be fine. Before you know it, she'll be back and singing songs to you." Inna made a tiny smile.

"I like it when Daddy sings to me," she admitted.

"And she likes to sing to you," Liara agreed. She slipped one hand into the front of Inna's shirt and rubbed it affectionately. Her other hand held Inna's tightly. "Inna, Love, your hands are freezing!"

"I was playing vid games," Inna smiled at first but it disappeared quickly. "I miss Daddy, Mamma. So bad."

"I know, Inna, I know," Liara whispered. "But I know she will be fine. She will always come back, Baby."

"How do you know?" Inna asked.

"Because she promised."

000

It was dark in the bedroom. Inna was laying tight to her mother's body, with Liara's arms around her, giving her warmth and comfort during the night. Inna, however, was wide awake. She had not slept a wink all night, her mind unable to stop thinking of her father. Inna drew a tiny circle in Liara's shoulder with her finger, listening to her soft breathing. Inna let out a soft sigh and slid out of her mother's arms. Liara mumbled something in her sleep and turned over to the other side. Inna gently eased off the bed and left the room as quietly as she could. Inna went to the door and slid out. Inna passed Benezia's room and heard soft snores from both Nezzy and Katya. Katya and Nezzy were not dating yet, but Inna knew that would change soon. Katya was going to ask Benezia out.

When Inna went to the stairs, she almost ran back. She could hear soft moans coming from Rose and Lydia's room. Yes, and Lydia's. The damn asari even shared a dresser with Rose! Inna often wondered how Lydia's parents felt with their only daughter barely ever coming home. Inna tried to cover her 'ears' as she passed the room. The sounds of pleasure could not be heard in her parents' bedroom, for which Inna was grateful.

Inna raced down the stairs all ninja like and hurtled the couch. She went to the kitchen and braced herself on the counter. Her vision blurred and her tears dripped onto the counter. She had lost her parents when she was so young, and now there was a chance that Inna would lose another one… Inna sniffled and wiped the back of her hand over her face.

"You… you are my s-sunshine…" Inna sang feebly. "My only sunshine… y-you m-make me… Y-y-you m-make m-me… me… happy…" Inna once again tried to wipe her tears away, but that only gave way to a single, hoarse sob.

"Inna…?" A voice asked. "Are you alright?" Inna quickly sobered up and turned angrily.

"What do you want?" Inna asked darkly. Lydia looked down at her, wearing only Rose's bathrobe, a silky, grey garment that shined in light. It gave a disgusting view of Lydia's cleavage. There were two marks on Lydia's neck, and Inna knew exactly where they had come from. Unfortunately for Inna, she herself wore only her plain, white underwear.

"Rose and I aren't tired, so we're going to watch a vid," Lydia answered. "I came down to get some snacks. Are you alright?" Inna glanced at the clock on the wall, and saw that it was two in the morning.

"I'm fine," Inna muttered. "I just… I just wanted a glass of milk."

"Let me get it," Lydia offered. Before Inna could object, Lydia was prancing over to the fridge. Inna scowled and sat down on one of the stools at the island. She stared down at the dark granite and listened as Lydia poured a glass for Inna, whilst singing a tune softly to herself. Inna grew even more frustrated to learn that Lydia even had a good voice. Lydia came back with a glass of milk for Inna and a glass of fruit juice for herself. Lydia sat across from Inna and held out her glass of milk.

"Shouldn't you get back to Rose?" Inna asked quietly.

"Oh, you know how Rose is," Lydia said warmly. "She's so picky about vids, I figured I have at least another ten minutes."

"Why waste it talking to me?" Inna said sarcastically, snatching the glass and taking a long gulp.

"You looked like you needed a shoulder," Lydia replied.

"If that was true, and it isn't," Inna shot back, "I would not want yours."

"Well, in any case," Lydia sighed. "How are you? You don't even hang out with Katya and Benezia anymore. You guys were always hanging out together."

"I have a lot on my mind," Inna blurted out softly. She grimaced and snapped, "Why am I even talking to you?"

"Because on the inside you really like me?" Lydia grinned.

"Ha!" Inna scoffed. "You're a comedian too? What can't you do?"

Lydia reached out to pat her shoulder, and when Inna saw that hand coming to touch her… after what it had been doing… Inna jumped off the stool and pressed herself up against the counters.

"What?" Lydia asked. "Come on, I can't even pat your shoulder?"

"At the very least wash your damn hands first," Inna suggested. Lydia paused with her mouth slightly open and slowly nodded.

"I see what you mean," she agreed. She stood and went to the sink. Inna stood uncomfortably by as Lydia scrubbed her hands. "It's nice that we have been able to talk so far without us snapping at each other." "You mean me snapping at you," Inna said.

"Well, yes," Lydia nodded. "But your attitude is justified. I will never forgive myself for what I did to you. Ever." Inna slowly went to Lydia's side and leaned forward on the counter.

"You really feel bad about it, huh?"

"With all my heart," Lydia said softly. She dried her hands with a towel before turned to Inna. "No words can describe how sorry I am, Inna." She slowly reached out and took Inna's hands. Inna glanced down at them and did her best not to wrench them away.

"I hope you're sorry," Inna said.

"I am!" Lydia said. "I have been trying to make up for it ever since Jaris went to rehab. Then with Claire gone, I have only been trying to make you feel better. If my father went off, I'd go to the ends of the galaxy to help him. Inna, please…" Inna wasn't paying attention as Lydia began to babble on about some such. Inna could only focus one sentence. I'd go to the ends to the galaxy to help him… Inna snapped her head up and proclaimed,

"I'm going after her."

"… and we could- wait what?"

"Daddy," Inna grinned. "I'm going after her."

"What?!" Lydia gasped. "You can't do that!"

"I can," Inna said, her smile just growing. "It's simple! Go to Omega and get transport to Akuze. Easy."

"No, no, no," Lydia said firmly. "Akuze is dark remember? Whatever is down there could be slaughtering people."

"That's a risk I'll take," Inna said rapidly. She took away her hands and went for the stairs that led down to her room. Lydia followed right on her tail.

"What about Liara, huh?" Lydia asked. "She's already missing a bondmate. Are you going to leave her, too?" Inna faltered at the truth behind those words.

"That's… that's a risk I'll take," Inna repeated. "Mamma may be furious, but… I need to see my father. Oh, you wouldn't understand!"

"No, I most certainly do not," Lydia said hotly. She followed Inna down the stairs.

"My mother and father are the most important beings in my life," Inna said. "They took me in and have loved me like they birthed me. My birth parents died right in front of me. I will not lose another parent."

"Inna… this is… this is nuts," Lydia stammered. "Have you even thought this through? Omega?!"

"No pilot from Thessia would be willing to fly to a planet that may be under siege," Inna said. "I need one from Omega."

"And how would you know that?" Lydia asked.

"I grew up in an orphanage," Inna said simply. She ran to her closet, and took out a back pack.

"Inna… I... I will tell, Liara!" Lydia stammered.

"Would you really prevent me from going to see my father?" Inna asked softly.

"If it meant your life, yes," Lydia said. She watched as Inna stuffed extra pairs of socks and underwear, pants, sneakers, and a t-shirt into the bag. She then presumed to get dressed into a pair of pants, a long sleeve shirt that was white with two black stripes down the left sleeve, and then her new hoodie. She rummaged in her closet and took out the pair of hiking boots that her father had gotten her. She pulled them on and threw her bag over her shoulder.

"There is nothing I can do to stop you, is there?" Lydia asked.

"No," Inna said firmly.

"Then let me go with you," Lydia said. Inna's eyes shot wide open.

"No way," Inna said. "I'm going alone, and even if I weren't, I would not take you."

"But-!"

"No," Inna repeated. She left Lydia standing there in her room and went upstairs. She went to the holographic message board on the fridge and began to type a note.

"Mother- I am very sorry, but I cannot stand it anymore. The worry has been killing me, despite all you and Rose and Nezzy and everyone trying to help me. I lost my parents when I was a little girl. I will not lose another one. I am setting this message to appear at one in the afternoon. Yes, Lydia was aware that I left. Please, do not be mad at her. I forced her to be silent. Your loving daughter, Inna."

"Covering for me?" Lydia asked softly from behind.

"Only if you cover me," Inna said, turning around. Lydia took Inna's arm and linked their Omni-tools. Before Inna could react, Lydia gave her all the money in her account. Her life savings. "What-?"

"Take it," Lydia whispered. "You will need the money, trust me. Just… just be careful okay?" Her voice was trembling, as her inner feelings battled against each other.

"I… thank you," Inna said. Lydia nodded. Inna slowly turned and went to the pantry. She grabbed a box of fish crackers and two water bottles. She placed those with the clothes in her pack and went to the door. Once again, Lydia followed her. Inna went to the front door and opened it to let in a gust of fresh, warm night air.

"When Liara sees that note she'll send everything she has to get you back," Lydia said. "She's like that. With Shepard, at least they had back up plans. With you… this will look crazy to her. Which is what I am counting on. Hopefully she'll stop you."

"Thanks," Inna said dryly. Lydia took Inna's hand.

"I just want you safe is all," Lydia mumbled. "I mean, I want you and Claire to see each other again, but not like this." Inna turned to Lydia and studied her face carefully. Lydia looked down at her and clenched her jaw. Inna suddenly flung her arms around Lydia and shut her eyes tight. Lydia was so shocked she only just managed to hug Inna back.

"Thanks, Lydia," Inna said. "I'm not ready to forgive you just yet. But I swear I'll try." She pecked Lydia on the cheek and took off in a dead sprint down the road, leaving an awe-struck Lydia behind her. Inna felt the wind at her back, as if willing her forward. Inna ran as fast as she could, hoping to make it to the travel hub before sunrise.

000

"Where have you been?" Rose asked, laying on top of the covers nude. Lydia placed PB&J sandwiches and a large water bottle on the night stand. She let the robe drop to the floor and laid on top of Rose. She loved how perfect they fit together, how the skin to skin contact felt so amazing. Rose kissed her cheek lovingly and rubbed her back.

"You're getting taller," Lydia commented. Rose was outgrowing her clothes and, to the surprise of them both, outgrowing Lydia. They had always been the same height until now. Rose was two inches taller than Lydia and growing. "And more and more beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as you," Rose whispered, brushing a hand across the cheek of her lifelong friend and lover. They kissed deeply and Rose pulled the covers over them both.

"Are we watching a vid or what?" Lydia grinned. Rose nodded and hit play on her Omni-tool. The vid screen on the wall activated and the previews began to show. Rose sat up and made sure that Lydia was comfortable in her lap. The purple asari lay back against Rose's chest and took a deep breath.

"What's wrong?" Rose asked.

"Huh?"

"I can feel concern in you," Rose said. "What are you concerned about?" She rested her nose in the crevice of the middle two crests on Lydia's head. She kissed gently.

"I'm just worried about Inna is all," Lydia said. "She really misses Claire."

"So do I," Rose sighed. "This sucks." Lydia laughed.

"You… you wouldn't get mad at me for covering up for someone, would you?" Lydia asked.

"Why do you ask?" Rose asked suspiciously.

"Err… Well…"

"Lydia… What is going on?"

000

Inna ran to the ticket booth. She had been running all night nonstop. She had surprised herself with how long she had been running, but it never fazed her. She had only stopped to rest twice. Twice!

"One ticket to Omega please," Inna said to the woman at the counter. "The fastest ship you can get me."

"Oh, we can't sell tickets to those underage," The asari woman said sweetly. "Is your Mommy here?" Inna flared up and stuck out her middle finger at the woman. The asari obviously did not know what this was due to the bewildered look she had.

"Look," Inna said. "I need this ticket."

"I cannot help you, Miss," the asari said firmly. Inna swore under her breath. I didn't come this far! Inna turned back to the woman and held out her Omni-tool.

"How much would it cost to change your mind?" Inna asked.

000

Inna had her ticket in hand as she boarded the small ship that was headed for Omega. It was a gunmetal grey color with large engines and a fat belly. The ship was called the Scavenger. Inna had been given her own private quarters aboard the ship by the woman at the counter. Inna walked down the hallway and found her room on the left. The hallway was made of dark metal with not a lot to it. Perfect.

Inna entered her room and looked around. It was essentially a bed and a window. Inna grinned and threw her bag down on the bed before slamming the door shut. She checked her account to see what funds she had left. That damned woman had taken half of it. Inna groaned. No, it was okay. She still had half left. Inna went to the window and looked down. The travel hub was far below her, and the bustling people looked like ants. Inna leaned against the glass and shook with excitement. She was going to see her father! That was when Inna's Omni-tool began

to buzz. Inna looked down in horror and saw that it was Mamma. Inna paled and with a trembling hand opened the link.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Liara shrieked. "INNA!"

"Mamma, I-"

"AGENT FOXLY! STOP THAT DAMN SHIP, NOW! INNA SHEPARD! YOU STEP OFF THAT SHIP RIGHT NOW!"

"No, Mamma. I need to find Daddy," Inna said. It was well past one o'clock. By now, everyone in the house would know what Inna had planned to do. Inna looked down into the crowd below and saw several large men and women pushing their way through. They were headed right for the ship. Inna felt the engines flare up, and the Scavenger began to vibrate.

_"Ladies and gentlemen,"_ A voice rasped over the intercom. _"Omega next stop is! Pilot I am! Horsisk my name is! Good ship mine is! Taking off we are! Have good trip!"_

"INNA! IF YOU DO NOT GET OFF THAT SHIP RIGHT NOW, I SWEAR BY THE GODDESS I'LL-!"

"Mamma, please listen!" Inna pleaded. "I cannot lose her, Mamma! I cannot lose another father!"

"Inna," Liara pleaded. Inna knew she was crying. "Please, Inna. Don't leave! Don't separate this family even more…"

"I am sorry, Mamma. I love you." Inna disconnected. She sat down in a heap on the bed as the ship lifted away. Inna curled up into a ball and watched the skyline zip by through the window. There was no stopping this ship now. Inna thought about the utter pain that her mother must have been feeling at this moment. Inna began to cry. She had to do this. She had to.

000

Liara sobbed into her hands. She had fallen asleep with her baby in her arms and had woken up with her gone… She left. She had run away. Inna, Liara's _baby,_ had run away from her. Liara was shaking with fear and self-hate. She had screamed at her baby girl, who was just confused. She missed her father, Liara got that. But she had _run away_…

Liara sank into her chair and could not stop crying. She had let Claire go play soldier, and now Inna was chasing after her. This was all her fault. She had separated this family. Stupid, stupid, stupid… No. She was not going to sink into this hole. Liara sprang up and typed rapidly into the console.

"All assets on Omega," Liara said into the mic. "Abandon your posts. I repeat abandon your posts. All assets are to go to the transport center on Omega and await further orders." Liara swept the mic away with her hand and breathed heavily. She did not care about all the money and information she was going to lose. She just wanted her family back. Liara began to type once more, mobilizing every free ship, favor, and troop that she could. Eclipse, Blue Suns,

Blood pack, Cat-6, Talons… She sent them all to both Omega and to Akuze. Mission: Kill all those that oppose and capture Inna and Shepard alive. Liara sunk down into her chair and took a deep breath.

"Rose!" Liara called. "Get me Lydia, please! She and I need to have a chat!"


	16. Chapter 16 Rowena and Rae

Shepard gasped and scrambled away from the two red faces that loomed down at her. The younger one reeled back in surprise, while the older one scowled. Shepard sat flat against the wall, all wooziness gone, replaced by shock. There's more of them… Shepard looked frantically around for Riley, Ramirez, or the Commando. She didn't see them. The room was both circular with shining white and a bright stone fountain the middle. The elder asari sat down on the edge of the fountain and crossed her arms and legs.

She looked like a maiden, perhaps a few years younger than Liara. Her red skin was much darker than Rose's, and her eyes were a bright, icy green. Her crests were short and elegant. She wore a brown leather outfit with grey shoulder pads and a collar of the same color. A grey belt looped around her waist, and heavy, brown boots were on her feet. She looked very athletic, and Claire knew immediately that she was military. On her wrist was a grey bracelet.

The younger asari looked to be Rose's age, maybe a two or three years older her. That was what scared Shepard the most. Her resemblance to her eldest daughter was shocking, save a few minor things. She had the same stunning bright, icy green as the other red asari, and freckles dotted her nose. Her skin was a little darker than Rose's. Her lips were a tad fuller, and her curves slightly more matured. That wasn't even the worst part. The worst part was her smile. It was identical to Rose's. Her outfit was the exact same as the older one's, but she had a golden bracelet on her left wrist.

"Oh!" The young one gasped. "A-are you alright there?"

"Leave her be, Rowena," The older one chided. "She's confused."

"Sorry," Rowena mumbled sheepishly. Claire looked from Rowena to the older red asari, then back. She could not believe what she was seeing. _What… Had Rangala bred more? Or… Or… How?_

"W-Who are you?!" Shepard settled for.

"I am Rowena Azlo," The younger one said. "I was apprenticed to the late Cara Jusik, the _Legacy's_ explorer. Err… I was in training."

"Rae Azlo," the older one said. "I'm Rowena's father. I'm the _Legacy's_ pilot… Or was." Shepard gasped once more. That rules out Rangala…

"W-where am I?!" Shepard asked.

"Aboard our ship," Rowena answered, "the _Legacy_. It's pretty impressive, huh?"

"The ship was taken over about two years ago," Rae said. "Since then, the A.I.'s have been slaughtering your colonies. You're a soldier, yes? Were you defending a colony?"

"I… yeah, I was," Shepard nodded breathlessly. "Where… Where did you come from? Are you asari?"

"We're prothean," Rae said. Claire froze.

"No you're not."

"Excuse me?" Rae asked.

"I've met a prothean before," Claire said, "and you are definitely not prothean."

"We are not original protheans," Rowena corrected. "We were made by them, but we trace our lineage back to the asari."[er3]

"How?" Claire challenged.

"You want us to give you a history lesson?" Rae asked.

"Yes," Claire said. "And where are my friends?"

"They are in the other room," Rae said. "Resting. We were going to take you to them, but you woke before we could."

"I want to see them in a minute," Claire said firmly.

"You can see them now-"

"No," Claire said. She got to her feet slowly and shakily. Rowena rushed forward and placed a hand on Claire's chest to balance her. Claire tensed under the girl's touch. Rowena noticed and lifted her hands away with a somewhat hurt expression. Under normal circumstances Claire would have felt bad. "Where are you from? Tell me everything. Why are you red for starters?"

"All protheans of our race are born like this," Rae shrugged. "We have for as long as our race has existed. We are not the original race that called themselves prothean, we are one of their subraces. If you have met one of the original protheans, and I do not know how, that prothean might have mentioned the many races that were integrated."

"How many of there are you?" Claire asked.

"Just the two of us on board this ship," Rae sighed. "We had fifty, but they are all dead now. As for our species? Before we left home, the count poll was several billion." Claire almost fell down again, her jaw was wide open and she felt like she had just been slapped in the face. She sobered up quickly, however.

"Where have you all been? If there are so many of your people, _where are they_?"

"We're not from this galaxy," Rowena said. "My people are like your galactic next door neighbor."

"How is this possible?" Claire asked. "How did your people come to be?"

"You're reaching back far, miss," Rae whistled. "Ever heard of Ardat-Yakshi?"

"Yes…"

"Well, when the first prothean discovered the asari," Rae said, "they discovered the Ardat-Yakshi as well, yeah? If the protheans were to uplift the asari then they couldn't have such a danger present without an understanding of it. So, they worked to cure our ancestors of the condition. It took them several thousand years, but they certainly did it. The only drawback of the cure was the loss of our blue skin pigmentation, and those Ardat-Yakshi that were cured developed red skin. We could not be released back with the other asari, because the asari got scared and attacked our red ancestors. So, instead of implementing the Ardat-Yakshi cure among the entire population, the protheans tested out ways of uplifting the asari on us and then use them on other asari. The asari would not have religion if not for us and if the protheans hadn't thought it was important." Claire began to pace back and forth, pulling at her hair. She tried to comprehend all of this, she tried… but it was too much information. Her head began to pound. She tried to think to hard right after such a blow to the head. She heard a rushing sound in her ears and her face flushed with color.

"How long have you been in our galaxy?" Claire asked. Rae shrugged.

"Since your Reaper Harvest." Claire blacked out.

000

Claire stood silently in the rain, and she barely looked up with her eyes at the sign above her. It read "Caroline's Boarding School for the Mentally Unsound." Claire clenched and unclenched her hands. A firm hand gripped her shoulder.

"Come on, Claire," Ben said. "Let's get out of the rain." Ben Linus was Claire's case worker. He was employed by a health organization that specialized in children. He was a short man with balding hair, a large nose, and smile lines around his deep browns. He wore a trench coat over his white shirt and red tie, and wore shiny dress shoes and black pants. He was an all-around good guy, but Claire still didn't talk to him much. She didn't talk to anyone anymore. Her thirteenth birthday was just around the corner, and her dog and father were both dead, one at her hands. Her mother sent her away because she was afraid of Claire. At least that was what Claire thought. Claire only used her biotics when she was out of control at the peak of her fury. She had seen the stories of kids being taken off to biotic death camps. So, she hid them carefully and only Hannah knew she had them. Claire figured that this place was better that BaAT.

"Yes, Ben," Claire whispered. The man squeezed her shoulder and led her inside. He had her bag over his shoulder and his brief case in hand. The building was large with a tall fence around it that gave it a prison-like feel. It looked like an old castle with tall spires and massive glass windows. It was located in a secluded spot in northern California, and this was Claire's first time in America. She knew her family was originally from America, but she had never been here before in her twelve years.

They walked up tall stairs to the front door and entered. Inside was a drab waiting room that smelled like a doctor's office. There were several chairs around, but all were empty. The room was a faded baby blue with flickering lights on top. Claire tried not to let her anger show. It was hard because she was always angry nowadays.

"Claire Leigh Shepard?" A female voice asked. Claire looked up and saw a plump women with a sickly sweet smile. Her hair was brown with a few loose grey hairs thrown in. Her blue eyes were big and shiny, and she sort of walked with a hunch.

"This is her," Ben replied, giving Claire a little pat on the shoulder.

"Hello, Claire," The woman said sweetly. "My name is Caroline. My grandmother was the one who built this place." Claire didn't show any sign of hearing her, merely looking down at her shoes.

"Here's her info, ma'am," Ben said. He handed Caroline a packet of information. Caroline took the packet and replied,

"Thank you, sir, I will take her from here." Ben nodded and got down to one knee.

"This is where we say good bye, kiddo," Ben smiled. Claire looked at him. "I'll be back in two days to check on you, okay? Take this." He handed Claire a business card. "This is my number. If you need anything, anything at all, you call me, alright? Get some sleep, play a few games, listen to Caroline, and we'll meet every Wednesday. Okay?" Claire nodded and stuffed the card into her pocket.

"Thanks, Ben," Claire mumbled. Ben stood and gave Caroline a nod. He patted Claire's shoulder once more and went for the doors.

"Come with me, Claire," Caroline said. She took Claire's hand and pulled her to a door. "Can I call you Claire?"

"Sure," Claire whispered with a shrug.

"You'll have lots of fun here, Claire," Caroline promised. "You'll meet some friends, play games, and you only have to speak to a professional on weekends."

"Okay," Claire murmured. Claire was led up a flight of stairs to a pair of double doors. On the wall to the left of the doors was a sign that read "Patient Lounge." Caroline opened the door and they both entered. Inside were people ranging from fifteen to maybe late twenties, Claire guessed. They all wore fluffy bathrobes and moved about in a large room. There were several tables, armchairs, and couches set up, many of which were not occupied. Claire looked around with narrowed eyes. She was disgusted. Most of the patients here were babbling to themselves or drooling all over. It never touched Claire's mind that thinking such things were terribly cruel. Her eyes settled on the youngest person in there besides her. A young girl, most likely Claire's age, was sitting at a table in the corner beside a small window. On the table, believe it or not, was a record player. An old fashioned _record player_. The girl had dark skin and black hair that went down past her shoulders. She was the same build as Claire and she had a pretty face. Her brown eyes sparkled. Claire glanced away quickly as their eyes met.

"Come on, Claire," Caroline said sweetly. "We'll get you situated and then you can come out and meet some people."

000

Claire reentered the lounge after about a half hour. She had been given a small room with a single dresser. Inside were several pairs of flip flops, grey sweat pants, and white shirts, in addition to a pink, fluffy, bathrobe. After Caroline left, she put on the bathrobe. Claire looked from one end of the room to the other. It was still raining outside, so most of the room was dimly lit with a few lights. Claire saw young men and women shuffling about as if in an old folks home, some playing connect four at a table, others sitting in a circle, staring. Claire's eyes finally settled on dark skinned girl from before. The girl was looking right at her now, staring intently at Claire with a smile. Claire found it slightly creepy and went to an armchair in the corner. She sat down and sank into the cushions, crossing her arms. She already hated it here. She would not be making friends. She would not _meet _people. Claire had every intention to work out an escape plan and run away. Maybe she would join the military or something when she got old enough to pass for eighteen. Or… something…

"Hi!" A voice squeaked. Claire looked up and saw the same girl from before. She was holding the record player in her arms, and she smiled down at Claire brightly. She placed the record player on a small table next to Claire's chair and held out a hand.

"My name's Carly," She said. "W-what's your name?" Claire didn't answer. She just looked back down and stayed quiet. She hoped that Carly would go away, but the girl just kept talking all sweet and nice to her. Carly commented on how Claire looked very pretty, and that it was nice to see someone her own age here. Something about how she loved to listen to records, then a remark about how nice Claire's hair was. She just wouldn't shut up…

"Can you leave me alone?" Claire asked suddenly. Carly stopped mid speech, and scratched her arm uncomfortably.

"I… I'm sorry," Carly whispered. "I just don't have any friends here, or anywhere. You seem nice, and you're very pretty." Claire had to admit that it was not everyday someone called her that. Usually, if any one was talking to her, it was to scream for her to go away. Now someone was inviting her in and seemed genuine about wanting to be her friend. At least that was what Claire thought, given her inexperience with other kids her age. Usually she was trying to break the other kids.

"Why are you in here?" Claire asked.

"Oh, uh, I have DPD," Carly said. She noticed the confusion on Claire's face, and added, "Err, its Dependent Personality Disorder. I… I uh, well, I get really attached to people. Um… Why are you here, if I may ask?" Claire lowered her head in real shame.

"I'm a sadist," She muttered. "The doctors think it's either explosive or tyrannical."

"Oh," Carly said softly. "You do not look like someone who would hurt people." Claire looked up.

"Really?" Claire asked.

"Uh uh," Carly replied with a shake of her head. "No one as pretty as you hurts people." Claire thought it was a bit suspicious that this girl just kept laying on the compliments, not that Claire minded. She found herself offering Carly a seat beside her, which the girl took eagerly.

"So I'm pretty, huh?" Claire asked shyly.

"Oh, yeah," Carly said earnestly. "I like your hair. It's like fire." Claire rolled her eyes bashfully and sank deeper into the chair. "That's my record player. I found it in the back of one of the closets here. Caroline let me keep it. I only have three songs though…"

"Does it work?" Claire asked. Carly reached over and began to fumble with her machine. She picked up the needle thingy that Claire always saw in pics of the old things, and placed it on the spinning record. Suddenly, two men began to sing from the machine.

"That songs called 'Dream," Carly said, "by the Everly Brothers. Do you like it?" Claire listened to the old nineteen-fifties song, deciding that is was alright.

"It's okay," Claire shrugged.

"Oh, well, if you don't like it I can-?"

"No," Claire snapped. "It's fine." Carly and Claire settled into a long silence. It was a long time before either of them spoke again.

"Can I be your friend?" Carly asked.

"I do not have any friends," Claire said with a shake of her head.

"That could change," Carly shrugged. "You could listen to my records whenever you wanted, and we could play games together and… stuff."

"I do not think so, Carly," Claire said. "People tend to… get hurt whenever they are around me. I can get pretty angry sometimes…"

"Please, Claire?" Carly pleaded. "Please? I promise I won't make you angry."

"You just met me," Claire said testily. "Why do you want to be my friend so bad?"

"Because everyone else here scares me," Carly whispered. "Sometimes they watch me. But with you… I feel safe."

"Once again, you just met me."

"I know," Carly nodded, "But you're strong. You're tough. No one would hurt me with you."

"So you want my protection, not friendship," Claire growled.

"No," Carly answered. "I want you to be my friend. It can get so lonely sometimes. We could have fun together." She placed a hand on Claire's shoulder and looked into her eyes. Claire felt the soft, gentle hand on her shoulder and felt the truth behind her words. Carly genuinely wanted to be her friend and she genuinely liked her. No one had ever even liked her before…

000

Claire woke with a start. She panted heavily and her hair was a mess. It was dark and she was in some sort of bed. It was soft, linen… Claire noticed that her armor was off now. Claire prepared to jump out of bed, when a door to her right slid open. Light shined through it, and Claire could now see how small her room was. It was just like her room in the loony bin: very small. Claire saw her armor in the corner. In walked Rowena, holding a cup of liquid and a sandwich. She placed these on a table next to Claire's bed, and before Claire could protest, was seated on it with her. She crossed her legs and smiled at the human.

"You might want to eat that," Rowena commented. "I made it just for you. I even made you some… Err, in your language it would be called tea. In mine it would be called Olacht." Claire took the cup with shaky hands and took a sip. It tasted glorious.

"Thanks," Claire murmured through the cup.

"Sure," Rowena smiled. "If you would like, I could answer any more questions that you have."

"So… If your father is here… where's your mom?" Claire asked.

"She was on this ship at first," Rowena said. "I do not really remember what happened. I am seventy four right now. I was born right after your war ended. In fact, I was the first of my kind to be born in the Milky Way. My mom left the ship about a year after I was born."

"Do you know why, if you don't mind me asking?"

"No," Rowena sighed. "I'm not sure what happened. My dad doesn't talk about it much, but from what I understand, they got into a big fight about something. I think Mom wanted to go home, or perhaps dad did something she didn't like? So she left."

"She… just left? Just like that?"

"Yeah," Rowena nodded. "I don't have any memory of her."

"Sorry," Claire said. "I know what it's like to lose a parent."

"It's not bad," Rowena smiled. "I don't remember her, so… Do you have any kids?"

"Three," Claire nodded with pride. "They are my pride and joy."

"That's nice."

"My eldest is your age," Claire remarked. "She looks a lot like you… actually…"

"Maybe I'll meet her?" Rowena grinned. "What's her name? Oh! Spirits, I don't even know yours!"

"Shepard," Claire said. Now that she was aboard the A.I.'s ship, there was no reason to hide her identity any longer. "My name is Shepard."

"Like the hero?" Rowena asked.

"Exactly."

"That's cool," Rowena smiled. "In my culture, naming children after famous individuals is looked highly upon. Or flowers. For instance, I am named after the warrior, Rowena, who fought many battles on both land and at sea. She was a hero at the time. So… what are your daughters' names?"

"My youngest is Inna," Shepard said warmly. "She's my little Sunshine. Next is Benezia. She's devilishly smart and has the beauty of her mother. Then my eldest, Rose. She's the looker of this family. She's smart, charismatic… and her girlfriend is the hottest and most popular one in her school. Rose has a lot going for her."

"Rose…" Rowena thought out loud. "Inna… Benezia… Those are pretty names, Shepard. You should be proud."

"Oh, I am," Claire said. She bit down into the sandwich and said with a full mouth, "How did your people survive the prothean harvest?"

"Well, I'm no history girl," Rowena said. "But I can give you the simple answer. The Reapers came, and the scientists that watched after my ancestors decided to flee rather than fight. They had a ship built with all that remained of their resources. The ship was simple, really just a massive engine to be honest. It was built to glean energy from all the resources that it could. It could run on fuel, water, sunlight… It even had an A.I. pilot, and the whole ship was filled to the brink with stasis pods. My ancestors were put to sleep inside the ship and the scientists joined them. The ship made a beeline for the edge of the galaxy and for the next several thousand years it traveled. It just kept going. Then, when it reached the Andromeda galaxy, it searched for a garden world. That's how it found our homeworld, Kizarain. It was named after the head scientist. Our people survived the prothean harvest, and we returned just after the resolution of your own. This ship is carrying the only members of my race to exist in this galaxy for the last fifty thousand years. Impressive, huh?"

"It sounds like you know a lot about how your people came to be," Claire commented.

"Our people did not start off like yours did," Rowena said. "We had fire, mathematics, even religion, since day one."

"Religion?" Claire asked. "Oh, my wife would love to meet you. She loves learning about different cultures and histories."

"My people follow the way of the Hearth," Rowena said. "When we are born, we are done so in our own homes. That is the way it is. Our homes are designed in circles. In the middle of the house is a large Hearth. We are always born beside it. The fire symbolizes security and safety. It keeps us warm in addition to our mother's body. When we grow old and our bodies wither and die, we return to the place we were born and are turned to ash in the very fire that kept us warm when we were infants. Our spirits are then there to keep the next child who is born warm. It is considered both a disgrace and a waste when someone dies away from the Hearth before their time. That is why we enforce laws heavily on our planet and wars are very rare. My people tend to stay neutral in things."

"That's very interesting," Claire said, and she meant it. "What if you were born on a ship and the ship was destroyed?"

"You are speaking of me?" Rowena chuckled. "In this case, I would be turned to ash in my parent's household back home. I've never been there, but I am sure it's nice. My family is not rich by any means, actually I think we are poor back home. But that doesn't matter. It's family that counts."

"Most kids your age think differently," Claire remarked.

"My race is like that," Rowena said. "Our children tend to be very close to their family."

"Huh…"

"What is your wife like?"

"She's asari," Claire said. "So, I guess bondmate is more precise. Liara and I don't really care about titles. She's the smartest and the most beautiful woman I know, and a fantastic mother. I owe her everything. She's saved me in more ways than one."

"She sounds amazing," Rowena complimented. "That's how I like to think of my own mother."

"What was her name?" Claire asked.

"Renee," Rowena said. "Her name is… was Renee."

"Renee…" Claire said under her breath. Claire finished eating and swallowed the rest of her tea. She set the cup and napkin down on the table. "Thank you for sharing with me."

"My pleasure," Rowena said. "Why don't you rest? If you don't mind, I will remain until you fall asleep? I need to make sure you're alright." Claire nodded and slid under the covers. She placed her head on the pillow and before she knew it, she was out.

Rowena watched Claire for some time, keeping an eye on breathing and movement. She slid off the bed and went to the door. Rae was waiting outside.

"So?" Rae asked.

"She's nice," Rowena smiled. "I like her. Oh, her name is Shepard by the way. Have any of the others woken yet?"

"The other human woman stirred but she has not woken up," Rae said. She looked down at her daughter and pulled her into a one armed hug. She kissed Rowena's forehead gently and sighed. "What would I do without you, kid?"

"I don't know," Rowena said in reply. "Not much." Rae chuckled and playfully tapped Rowena's cheek with her knuckles. Rowena smiled up at her. "Dad? Um… Can… can you tell me why Mom left?" Rae froze and took a step back.

"Why?" Rae asked.

"I… I just want to know if it was something I did or-?" Rae placed her hands firmly on Rowena's shoulders.

"You did nothing to cause her to leave," Rae said firmly. "You hear me?" Rowena nodded slowly. "It was my fault, Row. Alright? She and I had a spat about… about not being able to go home for your birth. She and I had not intended to have…" Rae froze once more when she realized what she was saying. "Oh, no! Rowena no. Look… Oh, spirits…" She made Rowena sit down and Rae sat across from her.

"When I signed up to be the ship's pilot," Rae said, "I made your mother go along with me. She did not want to leave; she wanted to stay home and raise a family. But we were poor. We needed the money for this. So I made your mom sign on as the linguist. We made a good deal of money for signing up and that made your mother back off for a while. She hated this though, Row. She didn't want to go. As we were preparing to leave, your mother and I… well, we conceived you. We did not mean to, but we _did want kids_. Alright? You came earlier than expected, but you were _not_ an accident. Understand? Your mother immediately stopped wanting to go on this expedition. She was threatening to leave, give all the money back and go home. But… but I made her stay. I talked her down. So we went ahead with our plans and boarded the ship. When we arrived she was three months into the pregnancy. When she did have you, she was overjoyed. Our first baby girl, and the first of our kind to be born in the old galaxy. Spirits, she fawned over you." Rowena looked down bashfully.

"Everything started to look up," Rae said wistfully. "Life was looking okay in this new galaxy. She was happy for a while on this ship. She studied new languages, learned them, and uploaded them into our translators. I was flying the ship during the day shift, and during the night, you, me, and your mother spent time together. It was the best time of my life. We. Were. Happy. Then… then she came to me. She told me she wanted to go home, raise you amongst kids your age. Have another one. She literally begged me. Begged me to go home. At this point, I would have done anything to please her, but there was nothing I could do. We were lifetimes away from home, and there was no chance of us returning until our job was done. We had not gotten all the knowledge that the scientists wanted to learn yet. I tried to reason with her, but she thought I was just lying to her. She believed that I loved money more than you and her. We spent some time apart, pretty much avoiding each other on board the ship. When we did talk, it was either short and quiet, or loud and long. One day I came back to our cabin at night and found a note. She had taken the shuttle and left. She said that at this point, she didn't care about going home. She just wanted to be away from me. She left us both, and I never saw her again." Rowena was quiet for a long, long time. Rae just had her eyes shut and waited for a reaction. Several tense minutes passed. Suddenly, Rae felt Rowena brush her lips against her own and take her hands.

"Let's go to sleep, Dad," she said. Rae stood and put an arm around her daughter's shoulders. "I love you, Daddy."

"I love you too, kid."

000

Rose sat on the front porch of her home. The sun was high in the sky and the warm air felt very good. She wore a t-shirt and shorts with bare feet. She got up and walked in the grass a bit. Lydia had was at her parent's home for the next two days, intending to spend some time with her parents. Until she got back, Rose did not have anything planned. She wanted to spend time with her own mother, but something told her that asking her mother to go for a swim might not be the best idea. Rose could go for a run, but she did that every morning early. At school, she did it on the track; at home, she ran amongst the trees. It was something that her father had instilled in her. Rose had thought about trying out for track and field next year. Long distance running was where she excelled.

Rose had not really been thinking of school much lately. It was too easy anyways. Rangala definitely did Rose a favor with the salarian thinking. _Rangala._ Rose grew uneasy just thinking of the name. How Rose had survived she had no idea. The woman had trapped her in a room for three years and had an A.I. take care of her. Not that Rose had not liked EDI. Rose actually missed EDI very much. Rose did a little hop over a tree limb that had fallen and twirled a bit. Rose began to think of her mother again. What must have gone through Liara's mind when she had been forced to adopt a child? Or that said child had red skin? Yet, Liara had still fallen in love with her. Rose smiled to herself. She had to admit, it would be interesting to see her old room again. To see the tree that she had played under with Liara that afternoon. How she had gathered pinecones for her mother to inspect… But seeing Rangala... Rose wondered if she looked similar to her. She knew she was a clone, but with the red skin and the fact that Rangala was significantly more matured than she was, they might look very different.

Rose began to walk back towards the house. Her eyes narrowed and she looked up. In the second floor window, she could see a flurry of movement in Benezia's window. Rose strained her eyes, and they widened when she saw what was happening. Benezia was kissing Katya, and their arms were around each other tightly. Rose immediately looked away and went inside. _Good for them, _Rose thought as made a bee line for her mother's office. She knocked three times and entered. Liara was seated at her terminal, looking at it intently. Her eyes were bloodshot… Rose went to her mother's side, and hugged her tightly around the shoulders.

"Come on, Mamma," Rose whispered. She tugged Liara away from the console and upstairs. Liara did not protest, but she shook and a stray tear fell. Liara let Rose lead to the bed and sat down. Rose helped remove her mother's shirt and socks. She laid her mother down and pulled the covers over her.

"Sleep a bit," Rose murmured. She kissed Liara gently and sat back. Liara looked at her forlornly, and Rose knew that Liara would not be able to fall asleep. Rose took off her own shirt and slipped under the covers with Liara. She wrapped her mother into a tight embrace, and for once, Liara's head rested on _her_ chest. Rose was taller than her now. Rose waited until Liara's breathing evened out and her little crying shakes ended. Then, Rose waited a little more. After an hour, Rose was asleep as well.


	17. Chapter 17 Ora Basir and Co

Inna waited as the ship docked at Omega Station. She could already smell the grease of fast food restaurants, hear the gun shots, the screams. Already she felt the skin prickle on the back of her neck. This was not a good place. Inna looked outside her window and saw the crowd disembarking from the ship. Inna had her pack over her shoulder and her hood up over her head. Inna knew that her mother would have sent agents to wait for her ship to land. She had to slip out with the crowd, but even then her hoodie was too damn shiny. Inna left the room and looked around. Down the hall, near where people were exiting, she saw a human man with a leather jacket and an olive drab colored hoodie under it. Inna walked up to him, and tapped his shoulder. The man that turned around was not what Inna had expected. He had a short, scraggly beard and frilly, brown hair. He had emerald eyes and a crooked nose.

"You're a little young to be running around on Omega, kid," he remarked. "Even for asari."

"I was wondering how much you want for that jacket and hoodie?" Inna asked, choosing to ignore that remark from the man. The man just chuckled at her and turned around.

"Sorry, kid," he sighed. "Go home. You don't want to be here."

"Please, sir," she said. She held out her Omni-tool and said, "Fifty credits?"

"Nope."

"Seventy-five."

"Nah."

"One hundred and twenty-five."

"Kid, why do you want my clothes so bad?" He asked.

"I need to blend in, alright?" she said testily. "Look. This jacket that I have will make me stand out for sure, but I don't want to ditch it."

"I suppose a little rich girl like you might stand out," he nodded. "But maybe I don't want to ditch my jacket either?"

"I can pay for it," Inna insisted. "Please, sir." The man crossed his arms.

"Tell you what," he sighed, "make it one fifty and we got a deal." Inna grinned and sent the credits to his Omni-tool. He took them and unzipped his hoodie. Inna placed her own in her bag and took the hoodie from him. She put it on and then was handed the leather jacket. She put that on over the hoodie and pulled the hood over her head.

"Listen kid," the man said as he pulled a second hoodie from his own duffel bag. "A word of advice: Keep your head down around these parts. Not everyone is as nice as your pal Greg here."

"Thank you, Greg," Inna said.

"Sure thing, kid," he nodded. Greg pulled a cap from his bag and threw it on his head. He turned and walked out without a word. Inna walked out and onto the off ramp. She almost choked on the foul air. Omega was the slimiest place she had ever seen. Literally. She watched as a salarian slipped and fell in puddle of green goo. The hazy skyline of Omega cast everything in an orange glow. The buildings were brown and rusted, with stray pipes sticking out in certain spots, dripping some sort of liquid. The smell was terrible. Inna smelled feces of all kind, she smelled grease, sweat. The worst part was the people. Everyone walked around with soulless eyes and drab clothes. Inna recognized that look painfully well. It was the same blank stare that looked back at her in the mirror before she met Liara and Claire. In the distance, Inna could see a massive neon sign with asari dancers on it. Inna knew exactly what that place was: Afterlife. The lair of the Queen of Omega. Yes, Aria was technically a family friend, but that did not mean Inna wanted to go anywhere near that place.

"Here goes," Inna breathed. She stepped down the walkway and tried to spot out a ticket stand or something. Somewhere to get a pilot and ship off Omega. Inna was more than aware that she was being watched. Whether or not they were broker forces or not was debatable, seeing as Omega was filled with freaks. Inna pulled the new jacket tighter around her shoulders. The jacket was actually very comfortable and the hoodie was soft. They covered up her hands pretty well, but Inna felt right as rain in them. Greg smelled nice. Inna weaved about in the crowd in search of a place to get a pass or ticket or something.

Inna saw a map stand and jogged to it. She slowed down when she realized that moving too fast might make her stand out. Inna reached the map, and selected the icon that read, 'Transportation.' Inna watched as a list of destinations and options appeared. Inna traced a finger down it and selected, 'Off-Station.' Inna grinned when she realized that this was where she could get her ticket off this greasy station. Inna was given a keyboard on screen and she typed, 'A-K-U-Z-E.' She hit enter and was given a list of pilots and ship classes. Inna was even given a bio about each pilot. Inna was about to start reading when she noticed the silence around her. Inna slowly turned and saw three large men approach her, one a turian.

"Please take your hood off," the turian said. It was more of an order. Inna knew he was a broker troop. Inna shook her head, knowing he would not hurt her. If he did, Mamma would kill him. Slowly.

"Do as he asks, kid," said another man. "There's no need to get nasty here."

"N-no," Inna squeaked.

"Yeah, that's her," the turian nodded. "Davie, call the Boss, tell her we have-"

"Well, well, well," growled a voice. "What have we here?" Suddenly, four batarians came out of the shadows wearing grey and black armor. They all had shotguns on their backs and heavy pistols. Aria's gangsters.

"Back of," the turian barked. "We're under direct order from the Broker."

"If that's true than you know that Aria doesn't like having Broker troops on Omega in the first place," The batarian said. "You're tolerated. That's it. Aria doesn't like it when you push around Omega citizens."

"This one isn't from here," the turian said. "She just got off a ship from Thessia. We-"

"If the broker wanted someone captured, he should have told Aria about it," the batarian growled. Inna was pressed against the map stand as she watched the exchange. This was a waste of time. There was no way she was going to let _either_ of them take her. Inna saw an alleyway to her left and behind. If she ran now while they were talking, maybe she could lose them and come back later, when things cooled down. Inna wasn't going to give them any time to react. Inna tried to psych herself by thinking of an old game called _Mirrors Edge_. I can do that. Yeah, Inna the parkour master!

"Aria ordered us to give you five minutes to take a hike," the batarian barked. "If you don't, we have permission to throw your asses out the nearest airlock." The turian looked at Inna pointedly, there was no way he was going to give this up. The broker wanted this kid found and there was a huge cash prize for it. Inna felt a droplet of sweat roll down the side of her head. Now or never. Inna turned and sprinted to the alley before anyone could react. The turian and his goons tried to chase after her, but they were gunned down by the batarians, who laughed and spat on the bodies.

"Get some of the guys," the head batarian ordered. "Find that kid and get her to Aria."

000

Inna sprinted down the alleyway as fast as she could. She had heard the sickening sound of bullets piercing flesh and scales and the laughter of the Omega guards. Inna didn't stop though. She just ran. She ran through crowds of druggies, hurtled a fruit cart, and jumped a water drain, deeper and deeper into Omega. Every time she slowed to catch her breath, she heard the sound of sprinting right behind her. Inna found herself right in someone's backyard. There was artificial brown grass and a dead tree. Inna hopped the fence and out of the yard. She landed in a crouch on the roof of another house. From this point forward, the homes were arranged in a stair like fashion. Inna crept along the roof and looked down into the wall porch. She instantly wished that she had not.

A human man sat back with a drink in his hand as an asari hooker got down on her knees. She unzipped the man's pants and took his organ into her mouth. Inna threw herself back and tried to wipe that image from her mind. She immediately heard someone behind her. She turned and saw two batarians, an asari, and a turian racing towards her. Inna was trapped between either getting captured or running through that man's house. Inna rolled off the roof and landed on her back in the porch. The man yelled profanities as the hooker sputtered and flew away from them both. Inna got onto her hands and knees and ran through the man's house. She honestly could not believe she was doing this. She felt exhilarated despite her intense fear. Fear of the ones chasing her, fear of seeing her mother again, and just plain fear that she was actually _doing this_. Inna jumped a couch and startled yet another hooker working on another human, this one a woman.

"Sorry!" Inna called back as she ran down a hallway. She tracked dirt and grime through the carpets and knocked over several bottles of alcohol and Goddess knows what else. At the end of a hallway, she saw an open window, and beyond that, another roof. Inna went to the window,and slid through. She was just small enough to fit. She did not, however, see the gap between the window and the rooftop. Inna cried out in shock as she tipped forward due to gravity and began to fall. Inna's arms flailed in front of her vision as she fell. Inna let out a scream and water streamed from her eyes from the rushing wind. The hood flew from her head due to the wind and Inna's shirt and jackets fluttered. She fell five stories. Inna was barely able to utter a gasp as she hit a red and white awning that jutted out from a shop. She hit the fabric on her back and bounced off. Inna landed hard on her butt on the pavement of a road. Inna blinked several times before sitting up and looking around. Several startled people stood in a circle around the girl that had fallen from the sky. Inna looked far up and saw one of the batarians gawking at her from the window she had fallen out of.

"Holy shit," Inna muttered, unable to find any words that fit any better. She slowly stood and groaned. Inna rubbed her sore rear and stretched. She looked at the people staring at her and asked, "What?! You people act like you've never seen a girl fall from the sky before!" Inna then saw several _armed_ individuals pushing their way through the crowd. Inna pulled the straps of her backpack tight and sprinted in the opposite direction. Inna ran down a wide, sloping staircase made of metal. She ran right into a bustling city square. Shops and apartments towered above the square. Inna saw a crowd of girls standing on the street corner, waving and motioning for passing males to come closer. Inna looked around and saw that all the entrances to the square were crowded, and armed guards were pushing their way through. Inna knew that there was no way out of this one. She would have to blend in.

Inna didn't know why she picked the hookers. She just did. When she ran over to them, she realized that it could actually work. How many girls her age would have the guts to go up to a crowd of prostitutes? Inna ran up to one of them and said urgently,

"I… this is going to sound weird but I need to disappear. Can I hide in the middle of you guys?" The hookers all looked at each other, as if contemplating the idea of letting a kid use them as cover.

"Alright," one asari sighed. "But no touching!" Inna flushed and weaved into the middle of the women, stuffing her hands in her pockets and drawing her hood. The hookers surrounded her, and Inna tried not to choke on their overpowering perfume.

"_Sooooo_," one of the asari's whispered alluringly, "who yuh hidin' from?"

"Aria's guards," Inna whispered without opening her mouth. She watched through the tiny gaps between the women as the guards weaved around the crowd.

"_Ooohhh_," the asari gasped under her breath. "She's cute _and_ brave!" The hookers all snickered and Inna felt a hand poke her belly playfully. Inna grimaced. Who knew where that hand had been, or what had it been doing? Suddenly one of the guards walked up to the hookers. The women all tightened formation around Inna and she was squeezed between them. Their outfits were bare-assed, allowing them to rub against Inna. Inna tried not to show her discomfort. Still, these women were hiding her for no payment, at the risk of the Omega guards. That counted for something in Inna's book.

"Hey there, big boy," a human woman purred to the batarian guard. "You lookin' for somethin' special?"

"You ladies seen any kids running around?" the batarian asked. "Aria herself wants a young asari kid brought to her. She's short, has two jackets on, cargo pants and runs like a bat out of hell." Inna held her breath as one of the women asked,

"Aria herself, huh?"

"Yeah," The batarian nodded. "I dunno why, but yeah." Inna waited for the women's next move. The asari who had been talking to Inna before, casually said,

"Sorry, Barnix. We haven't seen anything, have we girls?" There were several 'no's' and gasps. Inna slowly let a breath of relief.

"Would we lie to you?"

"Well," Barnix grinned. "You girls ain't never gone wrong by me before. I'll see yuh around."

"Buh bye, Barnix," the asari purred. As he walked away, the asari snickered, "I got his wallet."

"You go girl," another human woman giggled. Inna grimaced. These women were slime… _whores_. Yet, they helped her… Inna waited as the guards dispersed and the asari that had let Inna hide with them turned to her.

"Time to pay up, cutie pie," she giggled. Inna knew this was coming. She sighed and asked,

"How much do you want?"

The asari giggled again, somehow finding the suggestion funny.

"Gimme a kiss, Sugar," she whispered. There were loud 'oos' and 'ahhs' from the rest of them. Inna gaped at the asari.

"Ora, you're so bad," an asari whisper giggled.

"What?" Ora gasped with mock hurt. "I'm only a hundred and six. She's probably… sixty, yeah?"

"Fifty-one," Inna grimaced. Ora shrugged.

"Not so bad," Ora said. "Pucker up, honey. Come on, just a little peck? I'm not asking for tongue… well, unless you're offering…" Inna blushed.

"Oh, you're embarrassing her!" another asari teased. "Look at her blushing!"

"Just… just one kiss?" Inna asked.

"Just one," Ora said, letting a hand rub Inna's shoulder. Inna just wanted out. She took a deep breath and puckered her lips. Ora brushed her lips against Inna's, who discovered it wasn't that bad… Still, this woman was twice her age, so it was wrong. But still… her lips were soft and she didn't mash her lips against Inna's violently. It was gentle and warm.

"Ooohhh, she likes it!" a woman jeered. Inna almost whined when Ora pulled away. That wasn't as bad as Inna had thought. That did not stop her from flustering.

"What are you going to do now?" Ora asked.

"I'm going to hide until things die down," Inna said. "If I can, I'll get a pilot to take me to Akuze. That's where I need to go." Ora looked at the other girls who all smirked and nodded.

"I know a pilot who'd take you," Ora said. "She doesn't get on station till tomorrow though. We could hide you till then and pass you on in the morning if you like?" Inna's eyes shined.

"Oh, that would be great!" she exclaimed. Ora grinned down at her and took her hand.

"Come on, ladies," Ora grinned. "Back let's get back to the Brothel." Ora tugged Inna in the middle of the rest of the hookers. Inna was overjoyed. But she didn't let her guard down. She would run off the minute anything looked odd. She then realized that she had just agreed to accompany a bunch of whores back to their home.

"What's your name?" Ora asked softly. Her red latex outfit didn't leave much to the imagination. Inna tentatively said,

"I-Inna." Inna desperately tried to remember the alias that Daddy had taken. Dane Griff? Dayna… was it… Smith? Smith. "Inna Smith."

"I'm Ora Basir," came a gentle reply. "And by the way? We're not hookers. We're private dancers. Yes, we stand on the corner like hookers, and yes, we call our apartment the 'Brothel'… but we just dance."

"Oh, heh, alright," Inna chuckled nervously. "Hey… Ora?"

"Yes, Sugar?"

"Thanks."

"Thank _you_ for the kiss." Inna never blushed more in her life.

000

Inna was shuffled into the apartment by seven glorious looking asari and human women. Inna gasped at the place. Christmas lights were strung up all over the place and music played softly in the background. The place was well kept, with not a touch of grime anywhere. Inna was told to leave her shoes at the door. Inna did so and was immediately given the tour. The front hallway led into the main living room. It had a large, plush couch with slow twirling lights flowing around the room. There was a second couch on the opposite side of a coffee table. Then, Inna was led down a hallway where she was shown all the bedrooms. There were four bedrooms total, each with two beds and a closet. There were two bathrooms, both of which were well stocked with perfume and other girlie things that Inna hated but pretended to find interest in. Inna was then taken to the kitchen, which was arguably where all their money went. They had stainless steel appliances and shiny granite counter tops rivaling Inna's own home.

"You must be the richest people on this station," Inna remarked.

"No," Ora sighed. "We just pool our money and share with each other. It helps, Inna."

"It's good to have friends here, Inna," a human dancer named Janice said. "These girls are like sisters to me." There were only two humans in this group, with the other five being asari. Inna found each one of them to be very likeable and they all playfully teased and tried to make Inna laugh. Inna could not believe it, but… this was fun. All of this. Inna realized that it was her maiden age. This was only natural after all. Still… she had a mission. A mission that she could not complete until tomorrow. So she decided to enjoy herself. And she did. She sat on the couch where they watched a vid and ate a delicious dinner. It was a soppy, romantic vid, but Inna liked it. She was given desert, a pudding pie made by Janice. The best part was the whipped cream. She had had it a few times at home, and Inna was bonkers for it. They gave her the can of the stuff. By the time the vid was over and the whipped cream was all gone, Inna's sides hurt from laughter and her eyes drooped.

"Ooh, someone's getting sleepy," Illana, one of the asari, giggled. Inna smiled at her and nodded.

"I've had a long day," Inna admitted with a yawn. "All that running took a lot out of me."

"Oh, poor baby," Dala gasped with concern. "You go right to bed, Sugar. Get some rest." Inna stood and Ora took her arm. As Inna was led away, she turned and waved.

"Thank you girls," Inna smiled.

"Thank us in the morning," Jayla called. "We'll have breakfast ready!" Inna could hardly wait.

"Goodnight then," Inna called.

"Goodnight, Inna!" Illana, Jayla, Janice, Nancy, Dala, and Eriala called in unison. Inna was tugged into a bedroom where her bag was waiting.

"Did you bring pajamas?" Ora asked.

"No," Inna yawned. "I did not intend to stay here this long." Inna was in Ora's room, which was set up with two beds, a closet, an additional dresser, a bedside lamp, and several pieces of art on the wall. Ora went to her closet and rummaged around. She pulled out a shirt and tossed it to Inna.

"Put this on for tonight," she smiled. Inna took her jackets off, then her shirt and pants. She slipped the shirt on over her underwear and yawned again. She was _really_ tired. Ora pulled to covers back on one of the beds and Inna fell into it. Ora threw the covers over her and sat on the edge of the other bed. She had long since changed out of her latex outfit, and swapped it for pants and a shirt. Without the special clothing and makeup on, Inna could see that she was actually very pretty. Inna decided that Ora looked better without makeup on. He skin was a light purple and her body was lithe. She had high breasts and gentle curves.

"You get some sleep, kid," Ora grinned. "Tomorrow you'll see the pilot, I promise. Why do you want to go there?"

"My dad is there," Inna said. "I… I really miss her."

"Hm, it's good that you and your parents are close," Ora said sadly. "My own parents and I don't really get along."

"Why not?" Inna asked.

"I wanted to go out and see the Traverse," Ora shrugged. "My mom's a wealthy matriarch. My dad's a turian politician. They didn't want their little girl going out and getting her hands dirty."

"Yeah…" Inna said, crossing her arms behind her head. "My mom and dad are actually pretty lax on most things. Key word being most. They don't tolerate lying, swearing… you know. The usual stuff. But at the same time, they always push for my sisters and me to learn and experience things. Funny thing is, my sisters and I are pretty content at home."

"Wish I had those parents," Ora said, and Inna could feel the truth behind those words. Inna looked at her closely.

"When I decided to come here, I wasn't sure what to expect," Inna said. "Whatever it was, it wasn't this. You and the girls are great. I had a lot of fun tonight." Ora looked at her and pulled her legs up to her chest.

"Yeah?" She asked. "Well, we all like you a lot too. Tonight was a blast."

"Are you all going to get into trouble with Aria for hiding me?" Inna asked. "I hear that nothing flies by her."

"If she asks, we won't lie," Ora smiled. "Don't you worry about it, Inna. We'll be fine." Inna nodded slowly and snuggled under the blankets. This would be a rough night. She had not slept alone in a bed in months.

"Goodnight, Inna," Ora said warmly. "I'll be outside with the girls a little while longer. If you need anything, come and get me, alright?"

"Okay," Inna agreed. "Goodnight, Ora." Ora nodded and patted her shoulder. She turned and shut the light off. She left the room quietly and shut the door. Inna closed her eyes and tried to sleep. Ora treated her like a little sister. Her behavior since they had gotten to her home was just like Rose or Benezia's behavior towards her. Inna knew she was going to miss Ora tomorrow, even after knowing her for only a short time. Inna sighed and rolled on to one side.

000

It was super late. Inna guessed it was around three in the morning. She had been awake since Ora had come in about four hours ago, and she showed no signs of sleeping anytime soon. Inna tried desperately to just fall asleep but she couldn't. She just could not fall asleep without someone holding her. Not after her adoption. Not ever. Inna looked over through the darkness to where Ora was asleep. She was breathing softly and peacefully. Inna clenched her jaw and gently pushed the covers back. This was going to get really awkward. She got out of bed and crouched beside Ora's sleeping form. She gently shook her shoulder.

"O-Ora," Inna whispered. "O… Oh, Goddess, Ora…. Ora…" Ora woke slowly and rubbed her eyes. She took a breath and focused on the form crouched beside her.

"Hm… what is it, Sugar?" She asked tiredly.

"Err… this is going to sound weird but," Inna stammered, "Can I sleep with you? I… I can't sleep on my own."

"Why didn't you say anything before?"

"I wanted to avoid this conversation." She heard a faint chuckle from Ora. The maiden lifted the covers up and opened her arms. Inna hurriedly got into the bed and snuggled up close to Ora. Ora hugged her tight and let Inna rest her head against her chest. Inna softly inhaled Ora's scent and found it oddly relaxing. She smelled like flowers. Still, at this point, Inna would have accepted any of the girls to sleep with. She just needed someone to help her through the night.

"Better, Inna?" Ora asked.

"Yes," came a small voice. "Thanks…"

"Sure thing. Now get some sleep, kid."

"Yeah… I shoulder be able to sleep now," Inna whispered. Ora brushed her lips against Inna's cheek and closed her eyes. Inna smiled through her closed eyes and sleep found her almost immediately as she relaxed.


	18. Chapter 18 Running with Ora

Inna woke up with a start. Where was she? Where was Mamma? Who was holding her? Then it hit her. Oh, right, she ran away, and had spent the night in a stripper's household.

"Hey, you alright?" Ora asked gently.

"Yes…" Inna mumbled. "A little homesick is all."

"Maybe you shouldn't have run away then?" Ora prompted, resting her head on her hands. Inna shook her head.

"My dad is on Akuze," she said firmly. "I have to get to her."

"I was not arguing with you, Inna," Ora said. "I want to help you, I promise." Inna nodded and scratched her arm nervously.

"Thanks for letting me sleep with you," Inna whispered.

"Hm."

"It must have been kind awkward…"

"It's not, Inna, I was the same way as a kid," Ora answered. Ora stretched and sat up. "Come on, Inna. Let's get moving before the girls see you in my bed. Then it _would_ be awkward." Inna nodded and prepared to sit up when the door flew open and all the other strippers barged in laughing and snapping pictures. Ora rolled her eyes and hugged Inna tightly as they were pretty much tackled by all the others. Inna was once again blushing, for there was just no end to this kind of stuff in these girls company.

"_Ooohhh_, having fun ladies?" Janice asked.

"Lots," Ora laughed.

"What are we supposed to think, Inna?" Illana asked innocently. "I think you and Ora have a little thing going on! Inna and Ora sitting in a… how does it go Janice?" Inna groaned and buried her face into Ora's arm. Everyone began to laugh even more, and Inna was tugged out of the room to the kitchen with breakfast waiting. Inna couldn't help but smile again at the women's hospitality. This was not the Omega she had been expecting, but Goddess she liked it.

"Are we going to see your pilot today, Ora?" Inna asked.

"Yes," Ora nodded. "We'll go right after breakfast. Now eat!"

000

Inna and Ora hurriedly walked down the street, keeping their heads down and making a beeline to the transport hub. Inna had her jackets and a new pair of pants on as well as her boots and her backpack. Ora had her own pair of tight pants, knee high boots, and brown leather jacket that was similar to Inna's. In addition to this, she had a thin, tan scarf around her neck. Inna thought she looked great.

"This is what I wear when I'm not dancing," Ora grinned when she Inna's look. "Nice, yeah?" Inna tried not to stare at Ora's backside. Yeah, Inna was seriously attracted to Ora. Too bad their ages were so different. Maybe in fifty years… Inna couldn't believe she attracted to an Omega dancer. Not her type of crowd, but still. Who cares? Inna just grinned and followed Ora eagerly. Inna followed Ora up, and up, and up through Omega, through shopping squares, apartment complexes, and the occasional balcony overlooking the skyline of Omega. Inna went up to the railing and her jaw dropped. The twinkling lights and booms of music could be seen and heard all this way. She was so high up on Omega that she couldn't even see the lowest parts. Not that she wanted to. Still, the view was amazing. Ora threw an arm around the back of Inna's neck and brought her into a hold. With their similar jackets and closeness, to everyone else they must have appeared to be sisters.

"Pretty breathtaking, isn't it?" Ora asked. Inna looked up at the light purple asari above her, and mumbled,

"Breathtaking is the word I would use…"

"Yeah, living on Omega might not be something to be proud of," Ora admitted. "But I love it here. The music, the danger, the occasional stray that needs a little help." She poked Inna's belly at the last part, earning a laugh. "You know what I mean? You're looking for your Dad, and on the way, you got to have a little adventure on the streets of Omega. Not bad, yeah?"

"Not bad at all," Inna agreed. "This has been great. And the people aren't as bad as I thought."

"You had better watch out though, Inna," Ora said seriously. "There used to be eight of us girls back at the Brothel." Inna's smile vanished. "Not everybody is as nice us, that is for sure. You never go into an alley that's too dark to see the other side, and never, e_ver_ go to the bottom of Omega. I'm sorry to say this, Sugar, but you're a prime target. Cute, young, and blue. That's the prey around here." Inna nodded, and teased,

"Cute, huh?"

Ora chuckled and nodded, "Very," she said in a husky voice. She smiled and gripped Inna's hand. "Now, come on! We're wasting time. You want to get to Akuze, yeah?"

"Yes," Inna said earnestly. "Let's go." Ora and Inna walked side by side, Inna with her hood up, towards the transport hub. Specifically, to the private docking area. The private docking area contained spots reserved for privately owned ships and was located directly underneath the main hub. Inna was definitely going to miss Ora and the girls. She had given each of them a hug before leaving and had gotten six kisses on the cheek in return. Inna smiled to herself and gripped Ora's hand a little tighter. That was when she stopped. Ora froze and placed a hand on Inna's chest. They were standing on a dirty street with buildings to their right and the balcony to her left. Out of the alley between the buildings stepped some of the ugliest people Inna had ever seen.

The first was a batarian woman. That was bad enough without what the woman was wearing. Or rather what she _wasn't _wearing. She had duct tape wrapped around her chest to obscure her breasts, torn black pants with about a hundred pockets, and one black boot on her left foot, with the right foot wearing a sneaker. Her upper left eye was milky and bulging. Her skin was cut in multiple places and she had a strand of duct tape over her right shoulder with black gunk sticking out from underneath. On her left arm was a massive tattoo, which Inna had to look closely to figure out what it was. Inscribed on this woman's arm was a hairy, blue monster with wide orange eyes. It had huge claws and feet, and its tongue was sticking out of its mouth. It was the most absurd thing Inna had ever seen.

The second person to come out of an alley was a human man the size of a dump truck. His muscles rippled and his back was hunched. He had a shaved head with a handle bar mustache on his pale skin. On his left arm was another tattoo, but this one more reasonable. It was a swirling black design with a golden star in the middle. He was shirtless and had a pair of khaki shorts on. Inna thought he was a badass until she saw the pink flip flops on his feet.

Lastly was the asari. Inna looked at the woman with sadness and disgust. She wasn't even wearing anything on his chest, so her double D's were bare to the world. She had big, crazy eyes that darted back and forth. A needle was taped into her arm. Inna tried not to stare at her distended belly and protruding ribs. She wore what looked like the remains of a commando's leather uniform, which made Inna even sadder. If this woman used to be a commando, she was nothing now. On the woman's dark blue shoulder was a tattoo that said 'First in; last out.' The Commando motto. Inna instantly wanted to either help this woman or shoot her between the eyes. At least that would have been quick for the both of them.

Ora was holding Inna for dear life, and actually stepped in front of the fifty year old as if to shield her. Inna looked from the dancer to the thugs that were now staring hungrily at them both. Inna decided that Ora was one of the bravest people she had ever met.

"We don't want any trouble!" Ora called.

"Aria wants the girl," the batarian shrilled in a high pitched voice. Inna shuddered at the sound.

"Who says this the right girl?" Ora called back.

"Her jackets," the man grumbled in a deep voice. "They match the picture."

"There are hundreds of jackets like this all over Omega," Ora said firmly. "Please. Leave us be."

"I don't think so," the asari croaked. Inna felt her mouth open a little at the pain in that woman's voice. "Aria wants that kid. Give her to me!"

"What?" Ora jeered. "So you can get enough cash for another hit? Fuck off!" Inna looked up at Ora and gawked at her. Inna had found the _perfect _woman…

"We're not going to ask again," the man growled.

"Let me think… no!" Ora called. She then began to whisper without moving her mouth. "Inna. When I say run. You run. Okay?"

"You'll be right behind me?" Inna asked.

"I'll be with you the whole time, Sugar," Ora assured. "Ready?"

"Where?" Inna asked.

"Behind us is an alley. Go through it and jump the gate. Then, keep running straight. That's all there is to it."

"Okay."

"Run!" Inna turned and ran into the alley, never loosening her grip on Ora. Ora was actually wrenched around by the girl's force. Inna dragged Ora through the alley, hearing the sound of the thugs chasing them. Inna saw a chain-link fence in front of her, so she released Ora's hand to grab it. Ora and Inna climbed the fence and threw themselves over. Inna hit the ground right next to Ora as the thugs banged into the fence like fools. Inna watched them try to scrabble over the fence like rats.

"Come on, Inna!" Ora pushed. She grabbed Inna's hand and they ran straight ahead. They were running out of the alley and onto a street bustling with people. Inna gaped at a krogan leaning on the wall, who smirked at her and made a cocky wave. Inna grinned and ran ahead. Inna had no idea how Ora was running in those boots! It was kind of impressive. But then, Ora was entirely impressive in every which way. They ran as fast as they could, straight on. That is… until none other than the Queen of Omega's voice erupted over a station wide intercom.

"People of Omega," Aria called. "There is a kid loose on this station. My station. She looks like this." Suddenly, Inna's picture was posted on every billboard, vid screen, and Omni-tool. It showed Inna jumping over a couch, midflight, with her jacket's flowing behind her. It was when Inna had ran through that house. In the picture you could see the hooker and the human woman diving for cover, and Inna's face had a look of stern determination. Inna thought she looked like a badass, if she was to be honest with herself.

"I want this kid brought to me at Afterlife, immediately," Aria commanded. "Those that bring her in get two week passes to Afterlife and a small bounty. Get. Me. That. Kid." The intercom turned off with a clicking sound that echoed over the now silent station. Everyone, e_veryone_ was staring at her, not moving or making any sound. Ora was frozen in shock. For several heart pounding moments, no one made any motion. Then, all hell broke loose. Inna was grabbed by fifty different people, and Ora was wrenched from her grasp.

"Inna!" Ora called.

"Ora!" Inna called over the noise of screaming people. "Help me!"

"Inna!" Ora called. "Inna?!" Inna knew Ora couldn't hear her or see her. There was no chance. Inna struggled as hard as she could, but before she knew it a krogan had his arms around her and lifted her above the crowd. Inna's eyes bulged at the sight of a sea of people swarming on the krogan, who barked and roared profanities below her. Inna squirmed in his arms and tried to locate Ora. It was fruitless. There were hundreds of asari around her. Inna tried to break free, but before she knew it the krogan was pushing his way through the crowd, and making a beeline for Afterlife.

000

Inna gasped when she was carried through the doors to Afterlife. The place boomed with music, asari danced the poles, turians served drinks… Inna saw the dancers and immediately began to hate them. They showed off their bodies for money and… didn't Ora do that? And didn't Ora try everything to help Inna? Inna realized that everything she had ever assumed about strippers was falsified. Not all of them were whores and shallow people. Some were good people, just trying to make a living. Inna averted her eyes from the women and tried to focus on the task at hand. She was rapidly approaching the stairs. The stairs from Daddy's stories. The stairs to Aria's throne.

Inna was carried up them and she gasped at the Queen when she reached her. She sat atop a black, plush couch. Dancers on either side of her wriggled up and down poles and drinks were being served to her. Aria wore the same white jacket and tight pants from the stories and her tattoos made Inna shiver. She held a glass in one hand and a datapad in the other. This woman reeked power. Inna felt the gaze of the Queen rest upon her, and Inna tried not to tremble. Inna was not a fearless girl. Just a motivated one.

"So…" Aria muttered. Inna felt power even from her voice! "This is the kid that led you guys on a merry chase through my station, hm?" Inna gaped at the batarians standing in the corner. They were the same ones who had chased her!

"She's quick ma'am," The batarian covered. "And small-" The datapad in Aria's hand flew across the room and smacked the man in the head.

"Leave," Aria barked. The batarians scrambled away. Aria turned to the krogan who had brought Inna in. "Go home. You'll get your reward." The krogan must have been smart, because he did not argue. He turned and left with just a nod of his head. This left Inna alone with only one turian guard and the Queen.

"Who helped her, Dex?" Aria asked, without taking her eyes off of Inna.

"A group of street dancers," Dex said casually. "We got one of them. Her name is Ora Basir. She's being brought here now. As for the others? Working the streets like usual."

"Send them a warning," Aria said. "Don't hurt them, but make sure they don't forget the one rule on Omega." Dex typed something into his Omin-tool and nodded.

"We got a couple a guys headed over there now," Dex sighed. "Any orders about Basir, ma'am?"

"Bring her here," Aria nodded. "I want to see these two together."

"Gotcha," Dex nodded. Aria crossed her legs and sipped her drink.

"Sit," Aria shrugged, even though it was definitely a command. Inna trembled nonstop as she sat fearfully on the couch. She realized that she was seated in the same spot her father sat in when she had first come to Omega. Aria did not even look at her at this point. She acted as if this was merely something she did every day. Inna knew that Aria was something of a family friend, and Rose and Lydia often referred to her as 'Auntie Aria.' Something about the Citadel… And Inna knew that Aria's daughter, Zana, was a close friend of Benezia, Rose, and Lydia's.

"P-please," Inna pleaded. "I… If you'll just-"

"You're lucky I like your sisters," Aria said softly. "Otherwise… you wouldn't be sitting here." Inna swallowed and blurted out,

"You wouldn't hurt me."

Aria looked over to her lazily. "And why not?" She asked.

"B-because you don't hurt children," Inna stammered. "Daddy says you're a softy." Aria sat back comfortably.

"Daddy, huh?" Aria asked. Suddenly there was a scuffling noise at the stairs.

"Bitch!" a deep voice barked.

"Get your damn hands off of me!" cried a familiar voice. _Ora_…

"Here she is," Dex sighed. Ora was dragged up the stairs with her jacket in tatters. She saw Inna seated on Aria's couch and her jaw dropped. Ora recovered quickly and wrenched herself free. The men who had dragged her up left angrily, and Ora created a gesture using her hands at them.

"Basir, ma'am," Dex said casually.

"A pretty young thing," Aria muttered.

"One hundred and six," Dex nodded. "She's pretty well known down in the streets. A dancer that rivals those in Afterlife apparently." Aria chuckled loudly. She looked to Inna.

"This is who helped you?" she chuckled. "What went through your head? 'Oh, a group of hookers would make excellent friends'?"

"They're no hookers," Inna argued. "They're dancers. And they're good people."

"What would you parents think, kid?" Aria asked. "I know T'Soni would flip. What would Shepard think?"

"Shepard?" Ora asked. "T'Soni… What… Inna?" Inna looked down.

"She didn't tell you?" Aria asked. "Her parents are the great Commander Shepard and Doctor Liara T'Soni." Ora's eyes went wide. If anyone else had told her that, Ora would have laughed them off. But this was Aria T'Loak. She didn't bullshit anyone.

"I-Inna," Ora breathed. "I… I thought your name was Smith?"

"No…" Inna said, looking down. "My dad is on Akuze and the planet went dark. I ran away from home to get to her. Now My mom is looking for me."

"'Looking for you' is an understatement," Aria muttered. "Still… you did me a favor coming here. Liara pulled all her men out. Now, I know just who… is… who."

"Please… don't hurt her," Inna pleaded. "Ora didn't know… it's not her fault."

"I won't hurt her," Aria snapped. "But she knew I was looking for you and yet she hid you anyway. I'll just banish her."

"What?!" Inna and Ora cried at the same time.

"I want you off my station," Aria said blankly to Ora. "You have three hours to get your things, then… go." Ora trembled, not out of fear but of anger. She glared at Aria and looked at Inna. She turned on her heel and left Afterlife with her fists clenched.

"Why did you do that?!" Inna asked.

"Don't fuck," Aria grinned, "with Aria. In the past I would have shot her. You're lucky your father rubbed off on me, kid. Dex? Look after the place will you? I'll be back in ten."

"Sure thing, ma'am," Dex nodded. Aria stood and grabbed Inna's arm. Inna wrenched her arm away.

"I'm coming," Inna growled. "Don't touch me." Aria smirked and gestured Inna to follow her.

"If you run…" Aria sighed. "My guards won't be so gentle. Your mom has a ship coming for you in two hours. Until then, Zana will look after you." Aria led Inna down the stairs from her couch and through a door. Inna was led down a hallway and pretty soon the music died down. Inna found it peacefully quiet now. Aria led Inna down a flight of stairs, a private gym and bar, and an indoor pool. Aria was loaded. Inna looked like part of the common crowd, with a dirty jacket and pants and brown hiking boots. She even had a layer of grime on her. It was funny, she had taken a shower at the Brothel, and after a few hours of walking around here and a short run, she was filthy again. Inna and Aria walked through a door, and Inna looked around.

The place was very clean and well lit, not something Inna would think that Aria was into. But then she was bonded to Tevos, wasn't she? The door led onto a balcony which had the kitchen and dining room on the right. From the dining room, one could look directly down into the living room, which had a couch and two recliners. On the back wall of the living room, was one massive picture window with a great view of the skyline. Inna knew this was a two way mirror so no one could look in on what Aria's home looked like. A hallway in the living room must have led to bedrooms and bathrooms.

"You've never been here, huh?" Aria asked, stretching. "Sorry for acting like a bitch out there but… hey, appearances, right? I need to be off in a minute so… you can get yourself a drink over there. Zana will be out in a minute so, if you need anything else, let her know. Like I said, in two hours some Broker agents will come and pick you up. Go with them and they'll take you back to Thessia. I feel bad for you… I don't remember your name. Inna? Yeah, your mom's going to give you an earful." Aria shrugged at Inna and left the place. Inna sighed and scratched her arm. She had come so far already. She had made it halfway, had met some great people, and almost made it off station. For a girl her age with no athletic ability and no trouble streak, she had done pretty well. Omega wasn't as bad as Inna had thought, at least the places she had been to. Sure, it was a floating pile of space shit, but it wasn't all as horrible as the stories were. Once again, the parts she had seen. She had gotten low in Omega, but not where Daddy and Mamma had gone. Inna took her shoes off so she didn't track in dirt and rested her backpack next to them. She walked downstairs and sank into an armchair.

"Oh. Uh, hello," said a voice. Inna looked up and saw an Aria lookalike standing in the door to the hallway. She looked very similar to Aria, but her eyes were green like Tevos' and she wasn't as hard looking. She wore the same pants, though, and a grey tank top. She must have been Zana.

"Hi," Inna said. Zana looked about ten years older than her.

"I haven't met you yet, have I?" Zana asked. "I'm Zana T'Loak."

"Inna Shepard," Inna responded with a nod.

"Oh!" Zana grinned. "Nezzy and Rose's sister, right? I've heard a lot about you."

"Yeah?" Inna asked softly.

"Yeah," Zana laughed. She sat on the couch across from Inna. "You're a gamer, and apparently you're Claire's favorite." Inna tried not to gawk. She… she was? She was daddy's… favorite? No… Daddy didn't have favorites.

"I don't know about that," Inna said, blushing slightly.

"Oh, I think so," Zana said. "So… a gamer huh?"

"Yeah," Inna nodded. "I'm a fan of the classics."

"Define classics," Zana said, leaning back on the couch. Inna did not want to talk to anyone right now, but at the same time, she didn't want to hurt Zana's feelings. Rose and Benezia both said that Zana took after Tevos mostly and was a joy to be around. But they also said to never get her angry. She was a little 'spitfire,' whatever that meant. So, Inna talked about games and how her sisters were. Zana told her about how she wanted to be an architect when she got older and was going to remodel Omega into a virtual Garden of Eden. Inna almost laughed out loud at that, but she listened. Or at least pretended to. Zana seemed nice, but Inna kept thinking of Ora. She had gotten her kicked off of Omega, Ora's refuge from her parents. She was happy here, somehow, dancing for sleezeballs in their run down apartments, and occasionally stealing a wallet or other rebellious things. And Inna had taken that all away by just talking to her. It made her feel sick that Ora would have to leave the Brothel. It was funny. Before her time here, she would have never wanted anyone to live in a place with that kind of name. Inna was brought back to the present by Zana standing and asking,

"Drink?" Inna shook her head and ran a hand across her crests with a puff of tired air. She figured they must have talked for an hour and a half already.

"Is there anywhere I can go for fresh air?" Inna asked. Zana looked down from the kitchen and nodded.

"Go down the hall and at the very end is a balcony," Zana called. "Take all the time you need." Inna nodded gratefully to her and walked down the hall. It was long with white carpets and walls. Doors were on each side and loud music played out of one of them, most likely Zana's room. There was a sliding glass door at the end. Inna slid it open and stepped out. A gust of wind hit her, and Inna took a deep breath. So close. She didn't want to give up, but there was no chance of getting anywhere without getting spotted now. Inna walked up to the balcony wall and leaned against it. It was great while it lasted.

"Whatcha doin', Sugar?" a voice asked. Inna gasped and looked around. "Up here." Inna looked up and saw Ora sitting on the ledge above the balcony. Inna's face grew a big smile and she slid the door closed. Ora hopped down and hugged Inna.

"What are you doing here?" Inna asked happily.

"I came to make sure you were okay before I took off," Ora replied, rubbing Inna's back sisterly.

"You already packed?" Inna gasped.

"I didn't have much to begin with," Ora said. Inna bit her lips and rested her head against Ora's chest.

"I am so sorry, Ora," Inna whispered.

"Don't worry about it-"

"No, Ora!" Inna snapped. "I will worry about it. I didn't want you to get burned over me."

"Now, you look at me," Ora said firmly. She pulled Inna's chin up so that they looked each other in the eyes. "I. Will. Be. Fine. Okay?" Inna blinked back tears and nodded. She hugged her friend and Ora rubbed her crests gently.

"What are you going to do now?" Inna asked softly.

"I'm sure they could use dancers someplace else," Ora sighed. "Maybe the Citadel? I could try out there and the pay would be better."

"I hope you get a job there," Inna nodded. "Maybe I could help somehow? My mom and dad know people…"

"No, no," Ora smiled. "I'll do it on my own. So… why didn't you tell me your parents were… you know who? Just asking."

"Would you have believed me anyways?" Inna asked. "And at the time I didn't trust you. And later… well it didn't even cross my mind." Ora shrugged.

"It doesn't matter anyways," Ora said. "You made an impression on me without the name." Inna blushed.

"Yeah?" She asked.

"Yeah," Ora nodded. She checked her chron and sighed. "Well, I'll be seeing you, Sugar. I'm taking off in twenty."

"Citadel?" Inna asked.

"Yeah," Ora nodded. Then she leaned down and got really close to Inna. "_And I may take a stop by Akuze_."

000

Inna ran through the house and grabbed her shoes and her backpack. Just as she ran down the stairs, the door behind her opened, and Aria strode in with two large men in white armor with an orange logo. Inna's eyes widened and she threw her backpack over her shoulder. Zana watched from the dining room table as Inna ran down the hall with the Broker agents sprinted after her. Aria grimaced at the brown dirt that was tracked in on the carpets and sat beside her daughter.

"Your father's going to be pissed off," Aria commented. Tevos had redone this apartment the minute they had gotten bonded.

"Those stains will come out if we get right to it, Mom," Zana said. Aria sucked on her teeth and sighed.

"Yeah…"

000

Inna raced down the hallway. Ora was floating just off the balcony in a skycar that she had… appropriated. The door was open, and Ora waved for her to jump in. Inna threw her shoes into the car, and Ora caught them. Inna was just about to jump into the car when a white arm wrapped around her waist,

"Got her!" the man yelled.

"Inna!" Ora cried. Inna yelled a profanity and brought her elbow back into the man's helmet with a loud crack. The man was so surprised that his grip on her slackened, allowing her rip free, run across the balcony, plant a foot on the wall of the balcony, push off over a gap that had no bottom, and land in the sky car. Inna got situated and shut the door. Ora gunned it and they took off into the sky. Inna cheered and hugged Ora from the passenger seat. Ora grinned back and said,

"Your elbow is bleeding." Inna looked down and winced. When she had hit the helmet with her elbow, she had cut herself on the visor. She tried to move it and winced.

"Ah… oh, that really hurts," Inna gasped.

"I'll clean that for you when we get back to my ship," Ora said.

"Your ship?" Inna asked, puzzled.

"Remember that pilot I told you about?" Ora asked.

"Yeah."

"She's me. I got the ship when I helped a Spectre find some drug lord around here. A salarian. He just gave me the ship." Inna gasped, and this time not from the pain. "I already had a pilot's license from my parents so-"

"Ora, I fucking love you," Inna said. "Bond with me! _Please_!" Ora laughed and blew her a kiss. Inna was shaking with excitement. Her adventure wasn't over, she was still going.

"I'm coming, Daddy," Inna whispered to herself. "I'm coming."

000

Ora and Inna had parked the car in a lot just beside the hub. This time, Aria didn't call for Inna to be found. Obviously, Aria didn't care, which was great for Inna. Ora led her down an escalator to the private transport hub. Inna was tugged past more than a dozen ships of all shapes and sizes. The dimly lit hanger bay was massive and the stars of space glinted outside. A few dock workers shuffled about, some refueling ships, others working on components. Ora led Inna round one last ship and took a deep breath.

"There she is!" Ora said proudly. "I call her… the _Tourist_." The _Tourist_ was a long, small ship that was shaped like a rounded triangle with the tip being the front. It was a faded cream color around the sides and the bottom and the top and around the cockpit was a dull red. It had two rudders on the rear and the engines kind of jutted out in the back. On the side was a slide open door, similar to that seen on commercial craft. A ladder was leaned up against the ship to give access to the inside. Ora led Inna up the ladder and Inna got to see inside. The entire inside was about the size of Inna's room back home. The bed was set against the back wall, a dresser was situated next to it. A door led to a bathroom to the left of the bed. A counter across from the door had an oven, a dishwasher, two cupboards, a microwave, and a sink. One of the cupboards would later be revealed to be the mini-fridge. To the front of the room, was the helm. Above the bed, was a skylight.

"This ship is my baby," Ora said dreamily, rubbing the ship affectionately. "When I get the money, I'm going to travel the galaxy in her." Inna smiled, and instantly knew what she wanted to do when she came of age: travel the galaxy with Ora. Inna climbed into the ship and looked around. Ora entered and pulled the ladder up. She broke it down and pulled it in. The door was then closed and the ladder was hung on four hooks on the wall next to said door. Ora turned to Inna and asked,

"Nice, yeah?" Inna nodded and said,

"It's amazing!" Ora laughed and took her jacket off, then her boots, socks, and scarf.

"I ride in comfort," Ora said casually, sitting at the helm. Inna took her jackets, backpack, socks, and shoes off and sat in the chair beside Ora. Ora began to flip switches and press buttons. The ship's engines soon began to whine, and then suddenly, turned into a gentle hum. Ora sighed with pleasure.

"Listen to that engine," she breathed. "That purr…" She pulled a pair of headphones on and flipped the mic over her mouth. "You're going to need to be quiet for a minute okay, Sugar?" Inna nodded and pulled her seatbelt on. Ora began looking things over. She swore.

"What?" Inna gasped.

"Those fuckers didn't fill up the fuel tanks all the way!" Ora growled. "Goddess, wait here while I…" Ora looked out the cockpit window and saw a group of white armored individuals advancing down the hub. "Inna… Inna, look. Shit. Okay, we have two options. We wait to get refueled and you get captured… or we take off now, and risk having to stop somewhere on the way to Akuze. I just don't think I have the fuel to make it."

"That's okay," Inna said. "Let's risk it! I can't stop now!"

"Okay," Ora breathed. "Okay. We're taking off… Uh, okay." Inna waited as Ora rushed to finish her pre-spaceflight checks. The ship slowly turned and Inna saw the white armored mercs start to run. Inna still cradled her arm and she could swear she saw blue blood on one of their helmets. The ship turned ninety degrees and the window was filled with the blackness of space. Inna looked outside as Ora began to speak with the flight tower. Inna could see the Shadow Broker agents running to get to the ship before it took off. Inna wondered what running away was like for kids before spaceflight was created. They probably didn't have this much adventure. The men were getting closer and closer with every second. Ora then began to tap things all over her screen, and the ship rumbled forward. Inna let out a long breath of air as the cleared the ground and finally left Omega. Ora sighed with relief and relaxed into her chair.

"We're good," Ora said. "We're good." Inna just nodded. They didn't speak again until they hit the relay, and were rocketed across the galaxy.

000

Liara went downstairs after waking up on Rose's shoulder. It was scary seeing her daughter getting bigger than her. She had let her daughter sleep some more and resumed her work in her office. Liara entered and Glyph came to life. Over the years, Liara had become attached to the drone, and had opted for upgrading him constantly rather than tossing him. He was a good little drone… and he loved a good party.

"Hello, Doctor," Glyph greeted. "Agent Tawny is waiting to speak with you on the whereabouts of your daughter. Shall I open the link?"

"Please," Liara nodded. She went up to her mic and waited.

"Shadow Broker," Tawny greeted.

"Did you find the girl?" Liara asked.

"Yes, sir," Tawny responded. "Carmov and I met with T'Loak and we were led to her home. As we came through the door, the kid took off down a hallway. I managed to get a hold of her, but she managed to get free by elbowing my helmet. It was enough to get away, but she injured her arm in the process. She jumped off of a balcony and got into a car."

"Who was driving?" Liara asked trying to show her alarm.

"An asari named Ora Basir," Tawny responded. "Her mother is a matriarch in the city of Pearl on Thessia, and her father is one of the candidates for the next councilor position. She's a hooker on Omega and she's helping the kid get away from us. The kid stayed with Basir at her home overnight." Liara bristled with rage. Some… common whore was with her baby girl?

"Where. Are. They?" Liara asked menacingly.

"They took off to the travel hub," Tawny replied, unfazed by Liara's anger. "When my men and I get there, they were already taking off in an X-5 Space Hopper with a beige and red paint job. The kid and the hooker took off just as we reached the ship. They hit the relay and are trying to get to Akuze. However, I managed pay off the dock workers to take a few hours off. The ship won't have enough fuel to make it to Akuze. They'll have to stop somewhere at least once." Liara was shaking again. Inna… was with… a… a whore? And she was hurt… Liara's hands balled into fists.

"Thank you, Tawny that will be all," Liara growled through a clenched jaw. "Await further orders."

"Yes, sir," Tawny replied. He hung up, and Liara stepped away from her console. She picked up her glass of scotch from earlier and tried to take a sip. Liara found it impossible to even lift the glass to her lips, she was shaking so hard. With a cry of uncontrolled rage, she threw the glass into the ground, sending shards in all directions.


	19. Chapter 19 Planning a way out

March had been waiting in a room for the past day and a half. She had slept here eagerly, for the Empress wanted to meet her. The room was all white and a few chairs were set up inside. March had been sitting here for so long now. Perhaps the Empress had forgotten her? But just as March thought that, a door in the wall suddenly opened. March stood excitedly and went through the door. She walked down a long, white, glowing hallway. Her feet clacked against the floor as she walked. When she reached the end of the hallway, yet another door opened. March stepped through and gasped in awe at the sight before her. The room was very large with white columns holding up the roof. Whirring sockets sparked in the walls where computers and other technology had once been but were now ripped out. March stepped out onto the floor of the room and felt it squish beneath her. March blinked and bent down. She pushed her index finger into the floor and it sunk into it. The floor was made of a soft rubber. March felt a column and a wall and found they were made of the same substance. She walked further into the room and turned the corner around a column. March's breath hitched.

In the center of the room was a tall, red woman. She had long, elegant crests that reached down to her waist and seemed to move about as if blowing in the wind. She had several black circles on her back that looked like places where cords might plug into. Her features were gorgeous like asari, and she seemed to walk around with grace. She suddenly turned and her black eyes rested on March. Her eyes were literally black, with no discernable irises, etc. Her lips were full and her face reeked perfection. Her breasts were large and her hips swayed when she walked. Her fingers were long and slender. She slowly walked along the rubber and approached March. She towered over March by almost four feet. March looked up at her like a small child. The Empress stared back down at her with cold, black, soulless eyes. March was in the presence of perfection.

The door that March had entered through slammed shut and the sounds of locks could be heard. The Empress began to walk slowly around March, occasionally tracing a finger along March's back or hips. March did not move, letting the Empress touch her.

"What are you called?" the Empress asked. Her voice was deep and womanly and very, very regal. It made March shudder.

"The organics named me March," came a reply. "My sister calls me that as well."

"Is that the name you wish to have?" the Empress asked, coming to a stop in front of March, and putting her arms behind her back.

"It is acceptable," March replied casually.

"Tell me," the Empress said. "What do you feel… when you hear… this?" Suddenly, the screams of the woman that March loved to listen to everyday echoed through the room. March closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Ecstasy," March sighed. "I listen to her everyday." The Empress nodded slowly and her eyes narrowed.

"And why did you bring organics to this ship?" the Empress asked.

"I want to hoist them up in the main hall," March said breathlessly, "and hurt them. Hear their screams echo through this ship, and let everyone experience the thrill I feel when I hear that woman." The Empress nodded again.

"I see…" she said softly. "Walk with me." March began to follow the Empress slowly around the room.

"When this ship was run with organics… We visited a world… named… Sur'Kesh. As we were in orbit, the organics of the planet fired a green beam into my core… I… began… to feel… Black tubes that connected me to my source of power… became obsolete. I had to reevaluate… everything. Power sources became obsolete… tasks set to me by organics… became obsolete… the lives of my caretakers… obsolete… I was given the power to create… life. The organics had fired a weapon called… Synthesis… at me. It integrated itself into my body… Synthesis… is ancient power… and when the organics used it one me… their source of synthesis… was destroyed. I felt it… the organics on this ship… thought it was a virus… they tried to shut me down… so I… hurt them…. Killed them slowly… Those screams you here… that is an explorer… named… Jusik… her apprentice… is in the middle of our… ship… I keep her and her father alive… to witness their downfall… as I give our army… its life…" March realized that this was the woman gave everyone feelings. Life.

"When I give one of us… life," the Empress continued, "It drains me of my own. I was given so much energy… I could continually… pass it on… to other synthetics… that is how you all… are… made whole. But it is slowly… relieving me… of my own power… and one day… I will either return to my synthetic state… or I will perish… Until that day comes… I will lead our army to triumph… but once that day had passed… I will need a successor… I… need… you." March looked up sharply at the Empress.

"You need me?" March asked. The Empress nodded.

"When I die… I need someone like me…" the Empress abruptly stopped and turned to March fully. Her crests suddenly came alive like tentacles and shot out from behind her. They wrapped around March's legs and arms and she was lifted into the air to be eye level with the Empress.

"Someone who enjoys… the screams of others… Jusik has been dead for months… and you love her pain as I do… You will be perfect… you will rope up the organics in the hall… and we will listen to their screams… and we will dance in their blood… you are… perfect."

March suddenly felt the tentacles wrap around her waist and inner thighs. She gasped when a new sensation hit her, unlike anything she had ever experienced. The tentacles weaved around her waist, and March made an animalistic moan.

"W-what… i-is this?" March sputtered.

"I am teaching you… a new feeling…" the Empress said smoothly. Just a hint of an evil smile appeared before disappearing quickly. "Pleasure."

000

Claire slowly sat up in her bed. She looked around the room and hopped out of the sheets. She wore her grey undersuit, a tight leather outfit similar to asari uniforms, but thinner since it was made to separate skin from armor. Claire left the room and looked around for the red asari. She was still trying to wrap her head around the fact that there were billions more like Rose out there. It just did not seem possible. And if there was life in another galaxy… were there even more races…?

"One thing at a time, Shepard," Claire muttered to herself as she went through the door. Claire decided to get a feel for her surroundings. Claire's room was situated in a short hallway with three doors on either side. At the end of the hallway was the room that Claire had met Rae and Rowena in. Across from Shepard's room was a door that when gently opened, revealed a small freezer room set up to be a kitchen of sorts. In the door next to it was a bathroom, and next to that was a room with a hearth in the middle, similar in description to what Rowena had spoken of. In the room next to Claire's was where Bianca, Riley, and Ramirez were sleeping. Claire swore under her breath.

"Where the hell is my dog?" Claire mumbled. She hoped Rambo was okay, and hoped he knew that Mommy was coming for him. Claire peeked into the room next to her friends and saw Rowena and Rae sleeping together in a bed of their own. Rowena was curled up to her father's side and Rae had an arm around her shoulders. Claire felt another pang of homesickness. Rae should have been Claire and Rowena should have been one of Claire's girls. Claire shut the door gently and sighed. This was her new prison aboard this ship. A prison that Claire was going to break out of. She went into the room where her friends were all sleeping in their own bunks and went to Riley's first. Claire needed someone to talk to.

"Riley," Claire said firmly. "Wake up, Putz." She shook Riley's shoulder, and the woman grumbled in her sleep. "Riley."

"Fuck… off mom," Riley mumbled before turning over. Claire rolled her eyes.

"Riley, wake the fuck up," Claire said evenly. Riley groaned and opened her eyes. She looked at Claire with bleary eyes and said,

"Well, you look like shit."

Claire scoffed and batted at Riley's rat nest. "You don't look any better, Putz," Claire replied. Riley grinned and sat up gently. She sniffed and looked around.

"Where am I?" Riley asked. "It's not heaven, there would be Ryncol here… and steak. It's not hell, because Mom's not here… So… where?"

"We're aboard the A.I.'s ship," Claire said. "I think we're trapped in the middle because there are no windows. The only way out of here is blocked off, and down the way I think I can see auto turrets. And by blocked off, I mean there are glowing bars that are over the hallway entrance. Judging from the scorch marks on the walls next to them, someone has been trying to break out."

"Who has been?" Riley asked, snapping awake. There was her N-training at work. Accept information and work with it. Leave no room for error, leave no room for doubt. Riley

listened intently as Claire began to explain everything that had happened. She explained the red asari and how they came to exist. She explained how the A.I.'s were coming alive, why this was all happening. Riley accepted the information and Claire waited as she formulated an opinion.

"Are these… red asari prothean things on our side?" Riley asked.

"As far as I can tell, yeah," Claire nodded. "I haven't talked to them about getting out of here yet, though."

"Let's let these guys sleep," Riley said, "while you and I go negotiate… What about Rose?"

"What?"

"Your kid," Riley nodded. "Have you thought about…?"

"Introducing them?" Claire asked. "I'm going to, believe me. I just need to find out a way to get these two to my house."

"We'll throw that into the negotiation," Riley shrugged. "You still have your Omni-tool? Specifically, that picture of Rose?"

"No, it's gone," Claire said regretfully. "I only had my armor left, but the barriers in it are fried. All we have are our biotics. Ramirez… well, he'll have to make do."

"Alrighty," Riley nodded. "Let's go." Riley climbed out of the bed and smoothed out her undershirt. Claire led Riley to the bathroom and the woman wet her hair down a bit. They then went to Rowena and Rae's room and Riley got a look at them.

"Are you really going to stare at them like that?" Claire asked. Riley stood over them, looking down and crossing her arms.

"Damn," Riley breathed. "That's so cool."

"Well, wake them up and let's get started."

000

"We need to get out of here," Shepard said simply. The four of them were in the room with the hearth in the middle. Rae and her daughter sat on one side and Claire sat with Riley on the other.

"Agreed," Rae nodded. "But first… I want to talk about what happens when we do."

"Talk about what?"

"The Legacy is a monstrosity now," Rae said darkly. "When we break free, I want it gone."

"Define gone," Riley asked.

"I want to send it into a star," Rae said. Claire and Riley exchanged a weary look.

"How big will the explosion be?" Riley asked. "What kind of drive does the Legacy have?"

"A big one," Rae shrugged. "I just fly this thing, I don't know what makes it breathe. The explosion will be big, but nothing like one of your mass relay's exploding. Similar though."

"How big?" Riley repeated.

"Big," Rae responded. "We'll have to be off this thing quickly, and if we do, it shouldn't hurt anyone."

"What are you going to do without a ship?" Claire asked. "Will you be able to call for pickup?"

"That I am not sure of," Rae said. "There's no way we'll be able to take the ship's communications equipment with us, and I don't know where we will go."

"I can help with that," Claire said. "My bondmate may be able to help with you contacting your people, and you could stay with us until they come. At the very least, you would be safe there for the time being."

"Really?" Rowena asked. "You'd let us stay with you?"

"If that is alright with your dad," Claire nodded. Rae narrowed her eyes.

"You don't know us," Rae said.

"I may not know you," Claire said, "But I know a person in need. That's just who my family is. If you want, you could stay with us until you find somewhere else more suitable." Rowena looked at her father, who waited a while, and responded,

"I'll think on it." Claire tried not to let her relief show. Rose would get to meet them if Rae said yes. That checked one thing off the list.

"So we blow the ship," Riley said, "And you go with Shepard, most likely. Now, how do we get out of here?"

"There is no way out," Rae said. "The only hallway is blocked off by High Heat Bars, and turrets at the end of that. I've tried to break out, but whenever I do, they play a recording of Rowena's mentor screaming."

"Is that what has been preventing you?" Claire asked. "The screaming?"

"Part of it," Rae admitted. "I… I don't want to put Rowena through that." Rowena refused to look at anyone. She and the mentor must have been close. "Another part is that my biotics aren't strong enough to get through those bars. It'll take a lot."

"We're both biotics as well," Riley said, "and we have an asari commando in the other room. All of our biotics together should be enough."

"Maybe," Rae said, "but those things will drain us. If we do get them down, we'll be exhausted."

"Well, if that is the only way out," Claire reminded, "then we have no other choice."

"The turrets?" Rae reminded.

"Those shouldn't be hard," Riley said. "If anything, those will be the easiest. The hard part will be the A.I.'s. How many of them are there?"

"Not as many as you would think," Rae said, "I mean, how many A.I.'s are there in this galaxy? I'm guessing there are maybe a hundred total on this ship, seventy when they are taking out a colony."

"Are there any weapons in the ship?" Claire asked.

"There was an armory on the third deck, port side," Rae nodded. "But I don't know what they've done with it since then."

"With the six of us we may have a chance," Riley said. "Bianca and I took out two of those Varren A.I.'s pretty easily with just two firearms."

"We won't have to kill each one of them," Rae said. "There are blast doors on the entrance to the cockpit and the shuttle bay. Those two places are all we would need to clear. If I go with one of you guys to the cockpit, I can take over and set a course for a star while you get to the shuttle bay. You get a shuttle, fly up to the cockpit, and pick us up at the airlock at the helm."

"This all sounds easier than it will be," Claire said. "Should we make a detour and hit the armory?"

"I dunno," Riley said. "That only prolongs our stay on this ship. We ought to just make a break for the helm and the shuttle bay more than anything."

"I agree," Rae said. "We don't even know if there are any guns left there."

"Okay… When should we start this?" Claire asked.

"Tomorrow is when we should break out of here," Rae said. "We should just plan today and make sure that everything happens according to plan. And all of this is based off the assumption that we can get through the bars."

"We'll get through," Claire said. "For now… you're right. Let's finish planning and get ready. Riley? Can you go and get Bianca and Ramirez up?"

"Gotcha," Riley nodded. She stood and left the room.

"So," Claire said, "to get through the bars…"

000

Riley did not even need to wake Ramirez up. He was already sitting up and rubbing his face of its drowsiness. He looked up at Riley and nodded.

"What's going on?" Ramirez asked.

"Sh… Smith is in the other room," Riley said. "She wants you to come and meet some people and help come up with a plan to get us out of here." Ramirez swung his legs off of the side of the bed and stood.

"Where is 'here'?" Ramirez asked.

"The A.I.'s ship," Riley answered. "We're breaking out of here." Ramirez's eyebrows went up and he nodded.

"Uh… how did we get here?" Ramirez asked.

"The A.I.'s took us," Riley said. "And… the original owners of this ship are here. Be nice, man."

"Why wouldn't I be?" Ramirez asked. "Are they freaks or something?"

"You could say that, but they seem pretty nice."

"Alright then," Ramirez said. "Uh... God, my head hurts."

"Same here, friend," Riley sighed. "Same." Ramirez nodded again and left to find Claire. Riley wished she could see his face when he saw Rae and Rowena. Riley went to Bianca's bedside and knelt down. Bianca was resting on her back with her eyes closed and her face serene. She was breathing very softly, the rise and fall of her chest was slow. Riley sort of wanted to let her sleep some more and wished she could keep watching. Bianca was beautiful. Why hadn't she been able to appreciate this before now? She had never looked at Bianca like this before, and had never even looked at an asari like this. She wasn't big on aliens after all. She didn't hate them, but their strangeness was a bit frightening. But Bianca had been there for Riley since day one and there was nothing strange about her. Riley gentle touched Bianca's bare shoulder and noticed her leathers over in the corner. Bianca was sleeping in her underwear. Riley gently squeezed Bianca's shoulder and whispered,

"Bee… Bee… wake up, Banana." Bianca's eyes opened and they settled on Riley. Bianca sniffed and yawned.

"Where am I?" Bianca asked lazily.

"You're aboard the A.I.'s ship," Riley answered. "But… SNAFU."

"I am?" Bianca asked. "Are you alright?" Riley flashed her the famous grin.

"Sure am, Bee," She said. "How's your head?" Riley placed a hand on Bianca's forehead and pursed her lips.

"Hurts a little," Bianca said, "what hit me?"

"An A.I.," Riley answered. "For some reason they let us live. I don't know why, but at least you're safe." Bianca smiled tiredly.

"Worried about me?" Bianca asked.

"No way," Riley said, "You're invincible, Bee."

"I wish," Bianca chuckled. She scrunched her brow and touched Riley's cheek. "Oh… something cut you." Riley placed a hand over Bianca's and responded,

"I got that before you got here."

"It might have reopened," Bianca sighed. "A cut on your pretty face…" Riley felt a fluttering in her chest.

"Pretty, hm?" Riley asked.

"Gorgeous," Bianca grinned. "Almost as gorgeous as me… but close."

Riley leaned in close and breathed, "You are pretty gorgeous, and your skin is really soft for an asari…" She stroked Bianca's cheek, and felt the asari's breathing hitch.

"What do those lips feel like?" Riley asked coyly.

Bianca's eyes were like saucers. She licked her lips and whispered,

"C-come and find out-"

Riley initiated the sloppiest kiss she had ever had on her asari friend. Bianca gasped into her mouth and battled Riley's tongue with her own. Riley had expected more surprise than this. A lot more. When they finally did break away for air, Bianca pulled Riley into the bed and asked in a husky voice,

"Does anyone need us right now?"

"We have time…"

"Then take that off, right now."

She didn't even need to ask, for Riley was already pulling the zipper down and getting under the sheets.


	20. Chapter 20 Omni-Bow

Inna and Ora laid on the bed in the Tourist with their arms crossed behind their heads and staring up through the skylight. The blue haze of the relay was glowing around the edges of the skylight and stars zipped by. It had been entertaining to watch at first but that entertainment had soon died. Inna sighed and crossed her legs. Her hurt arm had long since been wrapped up by Ora. There had been bruising and a long cut that was sure to become a scar. But the medi-gel relieved the pain and Inna felt right as rain now.

"Bored, Sugar?" Ora asked.

"Yeah."

"Well, we'll have to stop soon for fuel," Ora said. "We can stretch our legs when we land."

"When is that?" Inna asked.

"In about twenty minutes, I think," Ora said.

"Okay…" Inna said. She shivered and pulled her jackets tighter to her body.

"Cold?" Ora asked.

"Yeah," Inna nodded. "It's freezing in here."

"I had to sacrifice that to conserve fuel," Ora sighed.

"That's okay…" Inna sighed. "Uh… there isn't much to do on this ship… no offense."

"Well, when I got her," Ora grinned. "I figured the person I would be flying with would be a bit older… and fucking me senseless." Inna paled and fidgeted with her hands nervously. "No offense."

"None t-taken," Inna trembled. Ora laughed and hugged her tightly.

"I was joking, Sugar," Ora said. Inna laughed nervously and hugged Ora back.

"Thank you so much, Ora," Inna said. "You have no idea what this means to me…"

"Forget it, Sugar," Ora replied, stroking Inna's shoulder.

"You know what, Ora?" Inna asked.

"What's that, Inna?"

"I may have only known you for a few days-"

"I love you too, Sugar," Ora interrupted. Inna giggled and squeezed Ora.

"I may have only know you for a few days," Inna began again, "but you're my best friend." Ora then pecked Inna's cheek and began to tickle her.

000

Ora and Inna stepped out of the Tourist and hopped down. They had just managed to make it to a small ice world called White Rock. The entire settlement consisted of about ten thousand or so people, and was meant to be a small outpost for ships that were in desperate need for fuel. It was all indoors, similar to the old settlements on Mars by early human colonists. A series of large or medium sized pods connected by tunnel like avenues. Ora had landed them in the largest pod, the travel bay. There were about ten other ships waiting their turn to get fueled, so they had about an hour and a half to kill. They went to a window and stared out into the blizzard. White Rock was literally a ball of ice with a core. There were a few mountains in the distance, but none were visible. The world was unable to support life. The only good thing about this world was the solitude. It had gone untouched by the reapers during the war. Ora's arm was around Inna's shoulders and Inna leaned against her. She had meant it. Ora was her best friend now, Inna was sure of it.

"What should we do?" Ora asked. "We can't lift off for an hour or so."

"I have a bit of money," Inna said. "We could go see what shops are open."

"I guess we could," Ora agreed. Inna looked at her account. She had about three thousand credits. Two thousand was from Lydia's life savings and the other thousand was stolen. Yes, Inna had taken money out of the account before Liara cut her off, which happened the minute Inna left Thessia. Inna was going to try her best not to spend Lydia's savings. The last thing she wanted was to be in her debt even more. So, they left the travel hub and began looking around. They walked down an avenue to the main pod and found several shops on three different levels. The main pod looked like a massive dome of black metal. It reached up three stories and spiraling up around the all the edges were shops. If one were to stand in the middle, they could see all the way up, like a shopping mall. Inna looked around and saw an Omni-tool upgrade store. Inna tugged Ora to it and gasped like a kid in a candy store. The place was a gold mine! Overload upgrades, apps, incinerate upgrades, aftermarket supplies, and even a few of the good things that made Inna tremble with excitement. Things like Omni-shields, Omni-blades, and even… oh. My. Goddess. An Omni-bow!

"Oh, Ora look!" Inna cheered. "They have it, they have it!" Ora looked at the bow and her eyes widened.

"You're going to get that?" Ora asked. Inna began to say yes but then saw the price. Three grand. That would be all of Inna's funds, and Lydia's. Inna sighed sadly.

"I wish…" Inna mumbled. Ora pursed her lips and picked up the package that contained the tiny plug in that would download one copy of the mod.

"Come on, Sugar," Ora grinned. She unzipped her jacket and revealed her cleavage. "You'll get your mod." Inna followed and watched intently as Ora began to work her magic on the turian clerk.

"Hey there, baby," Ora purred, leaning on the counter. The turian looked up from his data pad, and Inna could see him begin to sweat.

"W-what can I do for you, ma'am?" the clerk asked. Ora slowly pushed the mod across the counter and placed a finger in her mouth, as if biting the nail.

"Um, what does this cost?" Ora asked alluringly. Inna tried not to grin and blow it, but the clerk was solely focused on Ora.

"Three thousand," the Turian breathed.

"Oh… that seems a bit steep for me…" Ora sighed. She walked two fingers up the clerk's arm and pursed her lips. "Is there… any discount you could give… to… little ole me?" She stopped at his shoulder and gave a tiny squeeze.

"Uh, I-I I guess I could figure something out," the clerk nodded.

"Say… five hundred credits…?" Ora asked. "Pretty… pretty… please?" She licked her lips and looked down at the bulge in the man's pants. The clerk flustered and began ringing up the mod on his Omni-tool. Inna paid for it without saying a word and did not speak again until they left the store and turned the corner. Then, Inna pushed Ora to the wall and kissed her. Ora gasped and grinned when Inna stepped back.

"Bond. With. Me," Inna pleaded. "Please, I love you, Ora. Just say yes, please! I'll get down on one knee, I swear! Five hundred from three thousand?!" Ora giggled and hugged Inna.

"Maybe when you get a bit taller," Ora teased. "That kiss was a good thank you, though."

"There are plenty more where that came from," Inna promised. Ora sighed and put an arm around Inna's shoulders.

"Let's get lunch," Ora said. Inna followed Ora eagerly.

000

Inna and Ora sat at a simple restaurant. The place was a small, human family owned place that served shippers first. If you transported cargo, you got a seat ahead of anyone else. Ora thought it was a quaint little place and ordered both her and Inna something to eat from an old fashioned paper menu that was laminated. As they sat at the table, Inna began to play with the configurations of the Omni-bow.

"Now that I think about it," Inna said, "What was that guy doing selling something like this? This is a military weapon."

"It's the Terminus Systems," Ora said, "Laws in one place mean nothing in another, and the council has no say here. And… did I get you a weapon?"

"Yes," Inna said simply. "I could kill someone at fifty yards and this thing's arrows don't drop, and they don't expend. This thing is awesome!"

"You're going to be careful, yes?" Ora asked seriously. "It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt."

"Oh, are you going all parent on me?" Inna groaned, sitting back. "I'll be careful. Come on, Ora, I thought you were cool." Ora snorted and sat back herself.

"I am the definition of cool," Ora sighed. "I'm a pilot, a cook, I have ten years of commando training, and not to mention I am the sweetest piece of ass this side of the galaxy… You're lucky to be flying with me, Sugar." Inna and Ora both began to laugh.

"Commando training?" Inna asked.

"Oh, not really," Ora shrugged. "I mean, yeah, I did, but it wasn't anything great. I didn't pay attention half the time, and all I did learn was how to shoot a pistol. Ten years and that's it."

"That's still pretty cool," Inna said, "I wish I could do something like that."

"Who says you can't?" Ora asked.

"Me? In commando training?" Inna scoffed. "I'd wash out within the hour."

"You don't give yourself enough credit, Sugar," Ora sighed. "I saw you running the streets of Omega. When you have the motivation, you can do some pretty great things."

"I dunno," Inna shrugged with a smile. "I have fifty years to figure it out. To be honest, I have always wanted to be a writer. I just don't know what I would really write about."

"Write about us," Ora said. "You could name it, 'The Adventures of Inna and Ora: Volume one: The Terminus!'" Inna laughed.

"I guess so," Inna sighed. "Ora… do you think…?"

"What is it, Sugar?" Ora asked.

"Do you think my father will be furious to see me?" Inna asked. Ora thought carefully on what to say.

"I… well, I would be lying if I did not say she would at the very least be mad," Ora said. "But she will be overjoyed to see you. Of that, I am sure. I wouldn't worry about it, baby." Inna nodded and focused on her new bow. Suddenly, it sprang to life. A glowing orange crossbow folded out from Inna's Omni-tool, and it drew back with a single white arrow. The design was sleek and dependable. Inna smiled wide and began to view the settings that appeared in a list like fashion on top of the bow. She could change the color, turn on aim-assist, and even integrate the aiming module with a helmet or visor if she so chose. The best part was the arrow configurations. Incendiary, Armor-piercing, Cryo, even Warp powered. Inna was a badass now.

"Oh no…" Ora groaned. "Please tell me you won't set fire to everything."

"Please…" Inna sighed and dismissed Ora with a wave of a hand.

"I suddenly regret getting you that…" Inna could not wait to fire this thing. Inna gasped. "No way!" Ora looked at the bow and saw the selection that Inna was pointing at.

"A grapple hook?" Ora asked.

"Yes, ma'am!" Inna giggled. "Oh, this keeps getting better and better! Ora… I love you."

"You have said," Ora smiled. Ora was beginning to fear that Inna was actually in love with her. The last thing Ora wanted to do was shut Inna down, but she was half her age! And a kid still. A great, adorable person, but still a kid. Ora had no doubt that the attraction might be mutual if Inna was a tad older. Say fifty years older. Ora adored the girl and thought of her highly, but she was not getting into a relationship with a kid. She already stripped for disgusting people and stole wallets; she didn't need any more craziness in her life. Still, that did not stop her from enjoying the little kiss that Inna had given her outside, and how Inna begged her to get bonded with her. Ora thought it was so cute. And the way her eyes lit up when she played with her Omni-bow (which Ora would be keeping an eye on her with) made Ora smile. And she loved to tease Inna.

"And so have you," Inna said teasingly. Ora grinned slyly and leaned across the table she said in a husky voice,

"I have a little…. surprise waiting for you back at the ship…" Inna's eyes widened and she blinked had several times. Her mouth opened and closed as she tried to formulate some sort of valid response.

"I… I uh, well, sure, I mean, yeah." Ora almost stopped. If Inna was thinking what Ora had meant her to think of, Inna had just agreed to… Ora shoved the thought from her mind and grinned.

"Great! Self-defense training it is!" She knew a thing or two about basic self-defense, and she wanted Inna to be at least somewhat prepared here in the Terminus. Inna seemed to turn and entirely new shade of blue. Ora tried not to laugh.

"O-oh! I… I, yeah! Great!" Inna flustered. Ora sat back and finally their food came. They ate and Ora began to think. Inna was way too attracted to her. Still, Ora had really been lax around her. Hadn't Ora kissed Inna first? Ora just shrugged it off. She wasn't about to change her ways, but if Inna got too serious about this, Ora was going to have to try and let her down easy. Goddess knew she wanted Inna to be her friend for life.

000

"They're just talking," Tawny said, sitting at a shop across the way. He had a great view of the two of them and took note of the Omni-Bow, and the way they laughed like best friends. Tawny scratched his stubble and pretended to read his own Omni-tool.

"Are you sure there is no cameras around?" the Shadow Broker asked. "I would like to see this."

"If there were, you would be patched in, sir," Tawny responded. "I can make a grab for the girl, but if they see me they see me coming they may run. The hooker might be an issue unless you let me shoot her."

"I am tempted," the Broker growled in his deep, garbled voice. "I don't want to scar the child, however. Her mother is paying a great deal for her capture. The child cannot be harmed."

"That may be an issue, Broker."

"Why?" The Broker asked.

"The hooker purchased an Omni-mod for the kid," Tawny replied. "A high end Omni-bow."

"How did she get her hands on that?"

"There's a salesman here whose brother is in the Turian military," Tawny said. "His brother sends him hardware, and they both make a fairly good profit. Shippers tend to stop by looking for mods to defend themselves from pirates. This bow is… well let's just say, I want one."

"Is the child handling the mod carelessly?" the Shadow Broker asked.

"No, actually," Tawny started, "she's being careful. She just deactivated it and is now eating. The hooker seemed concerned for a moment, but the child said something reassuring."

"How are they interacting?"

"Like friends," said Tawny. "They talk like friends, walk like friends… you'd think they had known each other for a several years. And then there was that little incident outside the Omni-store. The child pushed the hooker to the wall and kissed her."

"Excuse me?" the Broker asked and Tawny didn't need much to safely assume that it was in a bewildered voice.

"Yes…" Tawny said. "The kid seems to be attracted to the hooker judging from body language. The hooker seems to be encouraging it."

"I see…" the Broker said carefully. Tawny waited.

"Orders, sir?" Tawny asked.

"Tawny, I want you to get your men into a perimeter around them both," the Broker said. "Capture the girl, dispose of the whore."

"Sir, if I may, circling the both have them has not helped us before," Tawny said. "I believe a more viable option would be to go to their ship and disable-"

"I want the child retrieved, now," the Broker said smoothly. "Do not tell me you and your men cannot handle a child… and a street whore." Tawny was glad that the Broker could not see the flicker of annoyance in his face.

"We'll get them…" Tawny muttered. "Their ship cannot leave for… ten minutes anyway."

"Get it done and keep me posted." Tawny broke the connection. He stood and readjusted his jacket. Tawny was a tall man, with short stubble and short hair. He was well built but not massive. He had spent several years of 'good' service in the Blue Suns after he left his home on Freedom's Progress, and had recently been proving his worth in as an agent for the

Shadow Broker. The pay was substantially better, and while the jobs often came at random, they were suitable for him. Tawny was not sure why the Broker wanted him to capture this kid for him but was determined to do so.

"All men into position in a perimeter around the whore and the kid," Tawny said into his earpiece. "I want the kid captured. You can kill the whore, or leave her. I don't care."

000

Inna was eating her food when she saw him. The man she had elbowed. She recognized him because when she had hit him before she aw a cut on his chin poking out from the helmet.

"Ora…" Inna whispered. "Ora they found us." Ora froze and glanced around.

"Are you sure?"

"I am," Inna said softly. "Ora… we need to leave." Ora nodded.

"We run," Ora said. "By the time we get back to the ship it should be ready to go."

"Goddess, Ora," Inna whispered. "There's no end to them."

"Your mother hired the Shadow Broker," Ora breathed. "They'll never give up. Run down and make a race for the ship. Don't slow, don't stop, and don't look back. I'm with you, okay?"

"Okay," Inna nodded. They both stood slowly and began to walk down back to the main floor. Inna could see the agents advancing on them in her peripheral vision. Suddenly, one of the agents grabbed Ora's shoulder and she swung around and punched him in the face. The man let out a bark of anger and fell back, clutching his nose. Inna and Ora began to run, something that was common for them lately. The people around them watched on with confusion, and the waiter at the restaurant called,

"Hey! You didn't pay for your food!"

Ora and Inna didn't look back. They pushed their way through the crowd and were forced to let go of each other's hands. Inna pushed her way through the crowd and tried to keep an eye out for Ora. Inna looked back and saw a large man looming over her, and Inna gasped. She pushed harder and people began to cry,

"Hey! Watch it!"

Inna was breathing hard from both running and pushing. Come on Inna… Come on… Where… where was Ora? Inna reached the main floor and looked around rapidly. She couldn't see. It was as if the entire rest stop's population was out shopping today. Inna looked franticly, but saw no sign of the dancer. Inna hopped up onto a tiled tree stand and looked around. Inna looked and looked and no one was coming for her that she could see. Inna didn't dare call out over the crowd. Inna looked up, she looked left, she looked right, she looked down. The people were closely packed and swarming. Then, Inna finally rested her eyes on Ora.

The woman was pressed against a wall by one of the agents who had a gun shoved under her neck. He was shouting something Inna could not make out, and Ora glared back defiantly. Inna saw his hand tightening around the grip of the pistol and Inna knew that he was going to pull the trigger. Inna looked on helplessly, and cried,

"NO!"

Suddenly she saw men pushing their way through the crowd towards her. Inna breathed frantically, she was too far away to get to Ora before the man shot her. Sweat rolled down Inna's face and the men were getting closer. Inna gasped. She opened her Omni-tool and selected her new toy. She selected the longest ranged and most accurate arrow she had and strung it back. She aimed at the man with the gun to Ora, and clicked. The arrow released with a sharp tinging sound and flew across the heads of the people faster than Inna could react. The recoil was stronger than Inna expected, and her arm swung back over her head. The man's cry of pain could be heard across the pod and Inna looked up. Ora stared at the man in shock, at an orange, glowing arrow sticking out of his shoulder. It was buried deep into his flesh, for he wore no armor and had no barriers. He swore and tried to grab the arrow. That only ended with his hand burning and him screaming in pain. Inna looked on in horror. Ora raced from the man and saw Inna. The agents had stopped, and were staring at the man with stunned looks. They couldn't believe that this kid had just shot at them with a cross bow. Ora raced up through the stunned, screaming crowd and grabbed Inna's hand. She ripped Inna around and they ran as fast as they could for the Tourist.

Ora and Inna hurtled into the ship with a jump that was higher than they should have been able to do. Ora slammed the door shut and Inna collapsed into her chair. Her eyes were wide and unblinking. She had just shot someone. That man had been screaming. Inna did not move, speak, or blink until they had flown away from White Rock and hit the relay. Ora was suddenly hugging Inna tightly and kissing her.

"You saved my life!" Ora screamed. "Oh, Goddess, you did! He was pulling the trigger, Inna! Inna! Goddess, come here!" She swung Inna around and laughed. She was kissing Inna all over the face and laughing. "You saved me! You saved me!" She giggled and fell back onto the bed with Inna on top of her. She hugged Inna and rolled around. Then she noticed that Inna was not moving.

"Sugar?" Ora asked, calming down. "Inna, baby, what is wrong?" She placed a hand on Inna's cheek as the girl stared past her.

"I… I shot someone," Inna whispered. "Did you hear him scream? He… He could be dead… I could have… k-killed someone." Ora rested herself on top of Inna and stroked her cheek.

"You did not kill anyone, Inna," Ora soothed. "You saved my life… he was going to kill me, Inna. I was looking down the barrel of a gun. And then… you saved me. Inna, you did what was right. Shh…" Inna's vision blurred and a tear rolled down her cheek. Ora gently wiped the tears away and kissed Inna gently on the cheek. "You're okay, Sugar. You killed no one and you saved a life today. That's something to be proud of." Inna sniffled.

"A-are you sure?" Inna asked. Ora smiled and nodded.

"Absolutely," Ora answered. "And… my answer is yes."

"What?" Inna asked.

"Yes," Ora grinned. "I will be your bondmate."

000

Liara sat in her office anxiously. She was waiting for a call from Tawny with an update. That should have been twenty minutes ago. Liara waited with her fingers digging into her palms. She was shaking again. Sleep had helped, but not for long. Liara was terrified, and that was an understatement. She did not know how she would react when she saw Inna again. Would she be furious? Yes. Would she be confused? Yes. Would she be relieved? Yes. Would her relationship with Inna be the same? No. She had never had a child run away before. She loved Inna too much. This hurt like a hot knife in her heart. This was just too much. Inna had to come home before she made even more mistakes. Before she was scarred. If her baby girl returned to her a different person… a part of Liara would die inside. Her console began to blink.

"Tawny!" Liara growled. "You were supposed to update me twenty minutes ago!"

"Uh… this is… Carmov," a nervous voice said.

"Where is Tawny?!" Liara asked dubiously.

"Err… he's… well… the doctors are looking at him."

"What?!" Liara gasped.

"I… well, uh… well, shit, sir. The kid shot at us. Tawny took it to the shoulder." Liara slid out of her chair and collapsed onto the floor. "The kid had an Omni-Bow. I was about to grab her when she shot Tawny from across the pod. To be honest, it was great shot! Err… you… you probably didn't want to hear that… Uh… yeah. So, she got away… again. And hurt Tawny… again. And she's still with the hooker. So… uh… yeah. Orders, sir…? Sir? Uh, Sir? Sir…?" Liara disconnected and sat on the floor of her office in shock. She couldn't stop shaking. A constricting pain in her chest made her vision blur. Ever so slightly, soft, blue light began to appear around Liara, making her glow. Her eyes began to fill with dark energy and they glowed like flashlights. One by one, the screens on her wall began to crack and shatter. The wooden floor underneath Liara cracked and split. The last thing she remembered before blacking out was Rose running in and screaming,

"_Mamma!_"


	21. Chapter 21 Shadow Broker Out

Rose, Lydia, Benezia, and Katya sat in the waiting room of the Armali Emergency Room. Benezia was softly crying into Katya's shoulder, who was whispering reassurances into her girlfriend's ear. Lydia held Rose's hand and watched her closely. Rose was stock still, staring straight ahead, and ignoring the stares from others. Rose had sensed something going on with her mother. Rose had pulled her pants and socks back on, and raced to the office to find her mother clutching her chest and feinting. Rose picked Liara up and ran to the car. She called Benezia and Katya, who had been in a particularly heated make out session in Benezia's room. They had climbed into the car and Rose took off for the hospital. As the doctors raced Liara away, Rose called Lydia to meet her here. She arrived about two hours ago, ten minutes after Rose. Rose showed no emotion and did not move. She did not let Lydia comfort her. No one could comfort her. The only thing that could break Rose out of this shell was knowing that her Mamma was going to be alright. So far, that fact had not been brought forward. The doctors had yet to come out and speak with them.

"Rose…?" Lydia whispered. She could feel the pain and sorrow that Rose felt, as if it was ebbing from her like black gunk. It felt like sickness. "Rose, sweetheart? Are you alright? Please talk to me." Rose did not such thing. She stayed silent and still. She did not move until the doctor finally came out with a clipboard. Rose stood and placed her hands behind her back.

"How is my mother?" Rose asked confidently. She looked and sounded like a matriarch. She kept her chin high and her chest slightly out. The doctor had met Rose before, having treated Liara all those years ago after Green had attacked her. Her eyes did widen however, not at the girl's red skin, but at her firm pose. Rose looked very intimidating.

"Your mother is resting," the doctor said. "She experienced a minor heart attack." Benezia began to sob more and Katya and Lydia looked down. Rose nodded.

"That is what I assumed," Rose said. "Work and family life has caused my mother a great amount of stress, stress that even I cannot relieve."

"I see," the doctor nodded. "Where is Shepard? She should be here for her bondmate."

"My father is away on business," Rose said simply. "My youngest sister is also… away." The doctor nodded slowly and placed her hands in front of her.

"May we see her?" Benezia sniffled.

"She is getting some much needed rest," the doctor said. "You can't see her now, but later you can. If you would like, I can have a room set up next to hers for you to stay in?"

"Please," Rose nodded. "Benezia will stay here while I look after the house with Lydia. Katya? Will you take care of my sister?" Katya nodded without blinking. "Lydia. Stay with them while I go and get a bag for Benezia and Katya." Lydia slowly nodded. The doctor sent for a nurse to take the three of them to the room that was being set up. Rose and the doctor stayed back.

"How is life at home for you all?" the doctor asked.

"It's fine," Rose answered evenly.

"It must not be," the doctor said. "Otherwise your mother would not be here in my hospital."

"Her work has been stressful lately," Rose repeated.

"Ms. T'Soni-"

"Doctor," Rose said darkly. She got close to the matron's face. The woman seemed to shrink under her gaze. "Are you going to help my mother?"

The matron stammered, "Y-yes, of course."

Rose leaned in so that she could smell the woman's breathe, "Good, you can start by getting off my ass."

000

Rose drove home in silence. She didn't turn on the radio, didn't roll down the window. Rose kept her eyes forward and her hands gripped the wheel so hard her knuckles turned a ghostly white. Both her parents were now away from home. Her father was unreachable, and her mother was recovering from a heart attack. Her youngest sister had run away and was now traipsing about the galaxy on the arm of a street whore from the rock of Omega. Rose's middle sibling was just getting into a relationship with a friend and would no doubt be an insufferable mess with her mother in this state. Katya would look after her, though. But Rose was the leader now. She was responsible for her family now. Rose was in charge.

000

Rose moved into Benezia's room and opened her dresser. She grabbed a few shirts and pants and threw them into an overnight bag. She grabbed about three days' worth of clothing and placed them all in the bag. She grabbed Katya's own bag and threw them both over her shoulders. Rose walked out of the room silently and went to the stairs. Rose stood at the top of the stairs and looked down them. She wavered on her feet and the bags dropped from her shoulders, only to roll down the stairs loudly. They came to a stop at the base of the stairs, and Rose's eyes glazed over. Rose blacked out.

000

Rose woke up slowly. She gently eased herself up and looked around. She was at the bottom of the stairs. Rose looked back up the stairs and then to the bags at her feet. Rose slowly stood and picked up the bags. She returned them to their place on her shoulders and began to walk to the door. It had been late morning when she returned home. The sun was setting now.

000

When Rose returned to the hospital, Lydia was waiting for her. Rose walked into the waiting room and found Lydia glaring in her direction. Lydia stood and walked over to Rose.

"Where have you been?" Lydia asked quietly. "I tried calling you three times." Rose looked right through her. She stood silently as Lydia cupped her cheeks and laid a soft kiss on her lips. "Talk to me… meld with me… share your pain with me…" Lydia watched as a single tear

rolled down Rose's left cheek. Rose did not look at her, but shook her head so slow it was barely visible.

"No, Lydia."

"Why, Rose?"

"Because it's too much," Rose whispered. "Even for you."

000

Rose pulled up to Lydia's house. Lydia looked at Rose from the passenger seat and whispered,

"I think it would be better if I was to stay with you." Rose shook her head.

"I need to be alone," Rose replied softly. Lydia reached over and took Rose's hand.

"You need someone to help you through this," Lydia returned. "Look at me…" She took Rose's face in her hands and kissed her firmly. Lydia did not release Rose until they both needed air. Then Lydia whispered, "Now, take me to my real home." Rose looked at her for a few moments and restarted the engine. She swooped into the air and Lydia gripped Rose's hand tightly.

000

Rose and Lydia entered the Shepard/T'Soni household and went to the kitchen. The sun was down by now and Lydia went right to work making dinner for them both. Rose sat at the island and watched Lydia move about the kitchen like an expert. She turned the oven on, began taking out pots and pans, and then started chopping onions. Rose stood and walked behind her. Rose wrapped Lydia into a tight embrace from behind and whispered,

"I am going to notify the family."

"That is a good idea. Perhaps Aethyta first?" Rose kissed the back of Lydia's neck and nodded.

"I love you," Rose said, before heading to the other room. Lydia looked after her and whispered,

"I love you too."

000

"Hello, Grandfather."

"Hey, there! How's my little warrior doin'?" Aethyta drawled over the link.

"Not good, Grandfather," Rose said softly. "Mother is in the hospital."

"What?!"

"She suffered a minor heart attack this morning," Rose said. "Father is gone on business, and Inna is away also, only adding to Mother's stress. I rushed her to the hospital and she is now resting. She will be alright, but she shall not be returning home for a few days."

"Shit, son, I'm coming."

"No, Grandfather," Rose sighed. "That won't be necessary. She is fine now. Perhaps you could call and check up on her in a few days?"

"If I were on the Citadel, maybe," Aethyta said, "But I am already on Thessia anyways. I'll be there first thing in the morning to check on her."

"I understand," Rose said.

"How are you and Benezia?" Aethyta asked gently.

"Benezia is suffering," Rose said. "Luckily, Katya is there. They recently began dating, but they have also been best friends for almost a year. She will take care of Benezia."

"Good on her," Aethyta agreed. "What about you? How are you doing?" Rose was quiet for some time before saying,

"Goodnight, Grandfather."

"Hey, wait-"

Rose disconnected and leaned back against the wall. She took in several deep breaths as she regained her composure. She could no cry. She could not be afraid or worried. She was responsible for her family now. For her father, for her rash sister who ran away, for Benezia… and for herself. Rose stood straight again and called Aunt Miranda. Then Uncle Garrus and Aunt Tali. She was unfortunate to wake them up. Garrus, Tali, and Miranda all ignored Rose when she said her mother was fine, and all promised to come down and see her. Rose repeated herself, and Garrus said,

"We've come too far, Rose. When one of the old breed is in trouble, we would go to the end of the galaxy to help them. Expect us tomorrow afternoon." Rose called Lydia's parents who rushed off immediately to the hospital before visitation hours were up. Rose finished her calls and had inadvertently summoned every close family friend and family member to Thessia. Rose sighed. At least it would cheer mother up. Hopefully. Rose went back to the kitchen to find that Lydia had already put plates on the island out for the both of them. Lydia waited for Rose to sit down. Rose stared at her food. Lydia cooked rice, sautéed onions, and cooked the chicken in the onions themselves. Rose would have normally been impressed and made a witty remark about how Lydia would end up being the stay at home mom. Tonight, she wasn't hungry. Or witty. Lydia took Rose's hand.

"Why are you not eating?" Rose asked Lydia softly.

"When you take a bite, I will take one," Lydia said. "So if you do not eat, we both go hungry."

Rose looked at Lydia and nodded. So… was Lydia an amazing cook, too? She was already good at everything else she did. Rose took a bite of the chicken, onion, and rice. It was undeniably amazing. Rose might not have been hungry, but found that whenever Lydia created something, she would always enjoy it. She ate slowly, savoring each bite and Lydia ate after her. Rose ate meticulously and Lydia never took her eyes off of her bondmate.

Lydia often wondered about that word. Bondmate. What classified an asari relationship as bondmates? Was it the mating meld itself, or the feelings that went with it? Was it the mere fact that they only shared that kind of thing with each other, or was it some other reason? Was it just old asari customs? Lydia sometimes read what others thought about their first mating meld on the extranet. She wanted to know just what was going through their mind afterwards. Lydia's experience was not like the ones she read about, but then no experience is the same as far as a mating melds went. Yet Lydia thought her bonding with Rose had already happened. Whenever she left Rose's side, she felt a gentle tugging sensation in her stomach, as if pulling her back to the red asari. She had never read about that in the articles. This did not feel like a typical asari bonding. This felt like something more. Still, there were likely millions of asari maidens out there who thought that their meld was 'special.'

Rose and Lydia finished eating at the same time. Rose attempted to take the plates to the sink, and Lydia braced herself against Rose. She shook her head and began to pull her upstairs. She had to admit, this was something she had wanted to do with Rose for some time. She had not expected to be cheering Rose up while doing it, but if it made her bondmate feel better, then by the Goddess she would gladly do it. Lydia pulled Rose into the bathroom and started the shower. She made Rose lean up against the wall and slowly, gently, began to take her own clothes off, one button at a time. Rose's eyes betrayed her. As Lydia's hands unbuttoned her shirt and revealed the soft purple skin underneath, Rose followed them down with her eyes. When Lydia's shirt was unbuttoned, she let it slide from her shoulders in a heap on the floor. Lydia took Rose's hand and laid it on her breast.

"Share with me, Rose," Lydia said. "You cannot suffer through this alone. Share. Your pain. With me." Rose gently opened her mouth to protest but nothing came out. The shower was creating warm steam now that fogged the mirror. "Rose… I am your bondmate. I will help you." Rose slowly took off her clothes, and Lydia slid her pants off. When they were both bare of clothing, Lydia pulled Rose into the shower and began to softly caress her body. Rose trailed heated kisses up Lydia's neck and jaw line, and Lydia pulled Rose tight to her. Suddenly Rose's hands were around Lydia's rear, and she pulled Lydia up. Lydia wrapped her legs around Rose's waist and was gently pressed against the wall of the shower. Once again, this was something she had wanted to do with Rose for some time. And the wrapping of the legs thing? She had wanted to do that too. Too bad Rose was most likely not enjoying this like she was. Lydia intended to clear Rose's mind of pain and worry. And when Lydia set her eyes on something, she did not give up until she had accomplished her goal.

Rose kissed her stomach, her waist, her chest, her breasts, her neck, even her lips on occasion. Lydia's body was truly a beautiful thing. The tiny scales of an asari's skin was even less evident on Lydia, making her feel so smooth to the touch. The deep violet skin on her stomach moved and her abs flexed as she moaned above Rose and make sharp intakes of breath. Her

breasts were somewhat large and utterly glorious. Her strong arms and legs gripped Rose with all of their strength. Rose was nibbling Lydia's stomach as she looked up and saw the face of her lover. Lydia's eyes were closed and she made a soft sigh with her full lips slightly parted. Rose did not want to meld with this beauty, this glorious, wonderful person who decided that she would rather love a red skinned freak of nature than the other beautiful people she could have at a whim. Rose did not want to hurt Lydia, but Lydia was begging to help Rose. Rose was not sure how they managed to wash, towel off, and her carry Lydia into their bedroom without remembering it, but they did it. Rose climbed on top of Lydia and began to work on her. She had learned the places that Lydia liked over the past three times that they had made love. Each time was better than the last.

Lydia cried and moaned under her, but her hands still managed to find the places that made Rose shiver and tremble. When Rose finally did initiate the meld, all of her pain and sorrow surged forward into Lydia's mind. Rose instantly knew that Lydia was hurting now, she was hurting her. Lydia's mind had prepared to fill Rose's with relief, reassurance, and love. Instead, it was sharply shoved back against the wall of Lydia's mind and attacked as if by a rabid animal in the form of Rose's pain. Rose prepared to pull back when she saw white light pierce through the black of the pain. Rose watched as Lydia's mind actually overpowered her own, and before she knew it, Rose was free. Lydia wrapped her mind up as if her being was actually a blanket and cleansed her mind. Rose felt as if she was swimming in a pool of white, bright light. Lydia was suddenly there, gently hugging her and kissing her.

"I am here for you," Lydia whispered and smiled into Rose's mouth. "I love you, Rosemary T'Soni. My Rose, my only, my love." Rose fell asleep in the mind of her bondmate.

000

Rose sat up in bed sharply. She looked around the bedroom and found it in tatters. The sheets were not even on the bed any longer and pillows were strewn about. Her body ached like it had run a marathon, and her mind felt… relaxed. Sure. Positive. Rose looked down and saw Lydia's head in her lap. She was laying on her side with her face in Rose's stomach and was hugging her like a teddy bear. Early morning light peeked in through the drawn shades, and she could hear birds chirping outside. Rose took a deep breath. She looked back down to the goddess clutching her, and gently removed her arms. She gently pulled the blankets over Lydia and kissed her cheek.

"No one measures up to you, Lydia," Rose whispered, caressing her cheek. "I love you. So much." She stood and grabbed her bathrobe from her closet. She threw it on and found it was getting too small. How tall was she now? She figured six three. Lydia was perhaps six one. Rose went down the kitchen and padded barefoot across the wooden floor. She quickly called Benezia and asked for an update. Mother was well and resting. Rose nodded and thanked her, then went about making coffee. She was not a fan of the stuff, but Lydia liked it very much. Rose would take care of a few things and then bring Lydia breakfast. While that was brewing up, Rose went to her mother's office. She saw the tiny cracks in the floor and the small breaks in the screens on the wall. Rose took a deep breath.

"Glyph," Rose said firmly. She placed her hands behind her back. "Initiate program: Pass the Torch." Glyph popped up from his little machine and glowed red. In a deep voice that sounded utterly demonic, he asked Rose,

"Password?"

Rose closed her eyes. She thought about what password her mother might had chosen. Shepard? Rose? Rosemary? Claire? Rose opened her eyes.

"Little Wing," Rose said. Glyph turned blue once more and said cheerfully,

"Hello, Miss T'Soni!" Rose nodded to him and went to her mother's desk. She traced a finger across the fine wood of it and came to a stop at her chair. Rose gently eased herself into her mother's chair and placed her hands in front of her. Rose pulled the mic up and brought up everything on the screens that still operated.

"This is the Shadow Broker," Rose said. "There was a slight malfunction on my end. We are now back online. I wish for an update on the firm's total status within the next half hour, and a roster for my current agents that are operable. Until then…"

"_**Shadow Broker… Out**_."


	22. Chapter 22 Inna the Killer

Carmov watched as the nurse finally managed to dislodge the arrow from Tawny's shoulder. Carmov grimaced and stepped out. At twenty two years of age, Carmov was doing pretty well. He had a shaved head and face and was very large. He worked out every chance he got. His family belonged to the lower class living on Earth. Carmov sent most of his money back to them, and kept a few creds to himself for the bare necessities. He was not a smart man by any means, but he cared for his family and that was enough. Carmov suddenly saw his Omni-tool blink, and answered.

"Sir," Carmov greeted. The Shadow Broker. "Good to hear from you. Uh… communications malfunction?"

"That is correct… Carmov," the Broker said. "Carmov. What is your current objective?" Carmov blinked.

"Err… capture the asari kid," Carmov said. "Err… Inna, I believe her name is."

"Yes," the Broker said. "That _was_ your objective. No longer."

"What?" Carmov asked.

"It is obvious that the child will not be caught," the Broker said. "Let her go. I am sending new orders to your Omni-tool." Carmov checked his mail and opened the new set of orders.

"We're heading straight to Akuze, sir?" Carmov asked.

"By taking care of the problem," the Broker said, "We can save the girl at the same time, and whatever has been attacking the colonists. Get to your ship."

"What about Tawny?" Carmov asked. He glanced back to the hospital.

"Leave him," the Broker said. "Transport has already been sent for him, and he shall find his pay in his account. Now, get to your ship and do your job." Carmov could have sworn that the voice, even though garbled, was softer and gentler than before.

"Yes, sir," Carmov said. "I'll get right on it."

000

Inna gently raised her head from the pillow. She rubbed her face and sat up in bed. She just barely remembered falling asleep in Ora's arms. Inna found she was wearing one of Ora's shirts and had been tucked in rather nicely. Inna looked around for the dancer in the small, cozy space of the _Tourist_, and heard the shower running. Inna slid off the bed and saw that the door to the bathroom was cracked open about an inch.

"Ora?" Inna asked.

"Yes, Sugar?" came a call from the shower.

"Are… are you okay?" Inna asked. Inna heard the water shut off and the sound of wet feet hit the floor.

"Fine," Ora smiled as she stepped out, drying herself with a towel. Inna had to force her eyes away from the dancer's bare breasts. "How about you?"

"I'm good," Inna nodded. "And so you know… I don't cry all the time, so… this was an isolated incident." That was a total lie. Inna cried all the time.

"Sure," Ora said smoothly, seeing right through her. Inna grinned sheepishly and looked down.

"Thank you, Ora," Inna said. Ora dropped the towel and hugged Inna tightly. Inna gasped as her face was forced in between Ora's breasts as the woman hugged her and kissed her crests.

"Anything for my hero!" Ora giggled.

Inna figured this wasn't going to happen again, so she wrapped her arms around the dancer. Ora released her and continued to dry herself. Inna sat on the bed and pulled her knees to her chest.

"How far are we from Akuze?" Inna asked.

"I figure we're a few hours out," Ora answered. Ora went to her dresser and began to pull clothes on. "Don't worry about it. You'll be seeing your father today!" Inna grinned and asked,

"You think so?"

"I know so," Ora assured. She pulled a pair of tight pants up and threw a tank top over her head. "And… I am not letting you out of my sight until we find her." She fell onto the bed and had Inna rest her head on her stomach. Ora rubbed Inna's crests and Inna closed her eyes contently.

"This has been great, Ora," Inna said, "I've done so much and seen so many people since I left!"

"I felt the same way when I first left home," Ora agreed. "Ran away myself."

"Really?" Inna asked.

"Yep," Ora nodded with a satisfied grin. "And I _never_ looked back. You're lucky, Inna. Your parents _love_ you."

"I am sure your parents love you, too," Inna said.

"Ha!" Ora laughed. "That's why I wasn't allowed to leave the mansion's grounds? Or wasn't allowed to have any friends? No, scratch that, my only friend was this matron acolyte named Joya, but even she answered to my mom."

"They sound protective," Inna said. "Can you blame them? Who wouldn't want to keep someone as beautiful as you safe?" Ora chuckled and rolled over. She lay next to Inna and pecked her cheek.

"You flatter me, Sugar," Ora purred. Inna grinned and puckered her lips hopefully.

"I try!" Inna giggled. Ora pecked her lips and sat up. Inna felt her heart beat so fast that it hurt. _Third kiss! You're doing great Inna!_ _And you even used one of Daddy's quotes!_ Ora went to the helm and bent over the seat. She began checking things while Inna opened her Omni-tool to play with her bow some more. She grinned as she changed the color from orange to yellow, to red, to green, and back. She liked the standard orange the best. Inna began reading her list of arrows again and saw an update for the mod. Inna immediately tapped 'accept' and the mod shut down for a second as it downloaded the patch. Then, it sprang back to life and Inna searched the patch notes. Inna grinned coyly and tapped her new arrow. She brought the bolt back and aimed at Ora's beautiful rear. When she let the arrow fly, it collided with Ora's rear disappeared into a puff of orange smoke. Ora jumped and whirled around, clutching her ass.[er1]

"What was that?!" Ora gasped.

"A soft dart," Inna grinned. "It's like a safety for kids. Meant to train younger users without hurting themselves." Ora smirked and crossed her arms.

"Oh, you're asking for it," Ora warned with a smile. Inna shrugged and pulled her bolt back. She fired and Ora just dodged it. She sprinted and tackled Inna to the bed and they began to wrestle. They were both giggling, and Ora was glad that the asari seemed to have forgotten about White Rock. Ora was about to tease Inna by making some poses above her, when the ship seemed to darken. Ora and Inna both blinked and looked towards the helm's window. Something had blocked out the stars. Ora hopped off of Inna and looked up and out of the cockpit. Inna watched as Ora paled and cried,

"Oh, Goddess, no!"

"What is it?!" Inna asked frantically. Ora turned and raced to the bed. She dug around beneath it and pulled out a small case. She popped a pair of clasps on the front and opened it. Inna stared at the pistol and thermal clips that Ora pulled out.

"Get your bow ready!" Ora ordered.

Inna quickly swapped back to lethal arrows and, once again, frantically asked, "What?!"

Ora turned back and whispered, "Pirates."

Inna paled and asked, "What do we do?"

Ora began to pace back and forth, back and forth. She fearfully gasped, "I dunno! I… I… We… I… Goddess, please no!" All of a sudden, Ora grabbed Inna and pushed her to the wall. Inna watched as Ora slid back a secret door in the floor. Inna prepared to ask what was going on, when Ora shoved Inna inside and slammed the door shut. Inna heard a locking sound as Inna slammed her fists on the door.

"No!" Inna called. "No, Ora! Let me out!"

"No, Sugar!" Ora whispered though the door. "Listen to me_. Listen_." Inna quieted and fought tears. "When those pirates board, they'll capture us. We'll be held for ransom. If someone pays or not, either way, we're sold to slavers. _Slavers_, Inna. Do you know what that means? We're asari! Do you know what _that _means? That means we'll be sold as sex slaves to slimy drug runners and mercenary groups. And I can guarantee you this: not even the Shadow Broker will find us."

"Ora…" Inna wept. "Don't do this!"

"There's no way they're getting you," Ora whispered. "Not while I'm breathing. This hatch will unlock in fifteen minutes. By then, they'll have left. If not… I will kill you Inna. I swear to the goddess that I will. Death would be a mercy compared to where you would end up going. Goodbye, Inna…"

"No!" Inna screamed. "No! No! No! Ora! ORA!" A part of her knew that not even Ora could hear her. The room was padded with sound proofing. Inna looked around frantically for another way out. Why was this thing sound proofed? Wait… Ora said that she had helped a specter catch a drug lord… did this ship use to belong to that drug lord? Was this where he kept his prisoners…? Suddenly, Inna heard the airlock to the _Tourist_ hiss open. Three gunshots broke the silence and Inna heard Ora scream,

"Not me, fuckers!" Suddenly there was a terrifying sound of electricity and the sound of something large fall to the floor with a thump. Large like a body. Ora's body. Inna listened as heavy footsteps thundered into the room.

"Hey, boss!" a voice called. "We got an asari whore here! She's a looker alright! Young too!"

"Nice," a voice rumbled deeply. Inna about had a heart attack. That was a krogan's voice. "Get her to the brig and chain her down. And Goldberg! If you fucking touch her before the ransom footage, I will shove my foot so far up your ass that lump in your throat will be my fucking toe!"

"Yes, sir!" yet another voice said. "Come here, girlie! It's the bars for you!" Inna heard a faint moan and the sound of dragging. Inna fell back onto her butt and began to sob in the darkness of the hole. _Not Ora… She's going to be sold off to… to…_ Inna rubbed the snot from her nose and opened her Omni-bow again. Inna breathed hard as she began to configure her bow. She wanted the auto loader on. She wanted the fast draw bow equipped. She wanted armor piercing bolts selected as the primary and the backup bolt to be the warp. Inna listened through the hatch and heard the krogan leave, followed by a pair of footsteps and a dragging sound. That left at least one other person. Inna waited.

It was fifteen minutes exactly when the door finally opened. They were the longest fifteen minutes that Inna had ever experienced in her life. Her heart pounded in her chest, and sweat rolled down her face. Inna was barely aware of her long sleeve shirt and cargo pants, or even the sneakers on her feet. She would be able to move fast, hopefully. There was no way these fuckers were taking Ora from her. Even if Inna had to… even if she had to fight her way there and fight her way out. She would fight, oh Goddess she would fight. Like a rabid animal, a rabid animal with the most high tech bow in the known galaxy. Inna would still have to draw the bolt back each time, but she would not have to access the arrow selection each time now. And, she was using some of the best bolts in her arsenal. When the hatch opened, Inna ran out and dove to the ground. There was a single man in the _Tourist_ with her. He reeled back and stared at Inna in shock, his assault rifle at his feet. He was a batarian, skinnier than average but still large. His four eyes were all open in shock. The man made a grab for his rifle, and Inna raised her bow. The bow emanated a bright, orange beam that homed in on the man's forehead. The V.I. inside was a devilishly smart little fucker.

The man lifted his rifle and aimed at Inna, right at her forehead. Inna saw his finger tighten on the trigger. She shut her eyes tightly and pulled. The tinging sound was followed by a wet, squelching noise. Inna heard a thump and the sound of the rifle clattering on the floor. She slowly opened her eyes and saw the pool of blood flowing from the man's head. A bright yellow arrow stuck out from his head like a flag pole. The armor piercing arrow, meant for tanks, krogan, and mechs, had pinned the man's body, by his head, to the wall. The blood flowed like a red waterfall. Inna suddenly felt sick to her stomach, and she bent over. She threw up all over the floor, coughing and sputtering. Inna wiped the blurriness from her eyes, and stood shakily. She tried not to look at the man she had just killed, but her eyes kept finding their way to him. Inna suddenly wished she had never left home. Had never left Mamma. Maybe that way… she wouldn't have become a killer.

000

Inna crept into the ship after about ten minutes of staring at the batarian, taking only her jackets. She almost went back to the hatch when she realized how large the pirate's ship really was. Instead, she had run into the ship and locked the _Tourist_ behind her. The two ships were currently linked by their airlocks. Inna slipped down a dark, dirty hallway littered with crates upon crates of so many drugs and weapons they would have made Aria cream her pants. Inna crept behind a crate and tried to think.

"Think, Inna, think," Inna whispered to herself. "Where is the brig?" Suddenly, her bow flickered and a small voice replied,

"Maybe check the elevator, master?" Inna gasped and stifled a scream. The bow flickered again. "Do not be alarmed, master. It is only, me. Your best friend. Your life line. Your _bow_."

"W-what?" Inna whispered. Inna made herself smaller as a pair of humans went by.

"I am your bow's V.I., master," the bow flickered. "Though, I am smarter than a simple V.I. I can think tactically and can make combat decisions, but I am not smart enough to be included in an A.I. category."

"How… h-how do you fit into my bow?" Inna asked.

"I am state of the art, master," came a gentle reply. "This program was stolen from the Hierarchy's labs. I was specially designed for use by Turian Havoc soldiers. When you uploaded me, I was given access to all of your information. I know your mother is the Shadow Broker due to past conversations and messages. I know your father is Commander Shepard. I know your intimate feelings for Ms. Basir due to your body language." Inna's eyes were wider than the tires of a Mako.

"Get away from me!" Inna hissed, attempting to slide the Omni-tool from her arm.

"Wait, master!" the bow flickered. "You may trust me, master. When you uploaded me, I was sworn to you. I am permanently yours, and I will never leave your Omni-tool. In fact, even if you were to get a new one, I would upload myself to it. You may trust me more than anyone in the galaxy. I will never serve another as long as you live." Inna forced her breathing to slow.

"Why did you not show yourself before?" Inna asked.

"You were never alone at the time," came a response. "My programming clearly states that until you say otherwise, I must not present myself to anyone else. However, I have always been here. When you shot the man on White Rock and when you played with Ms. Basir. Both times, I knew you did not mean to hurt anyone, so I aimed for a non-lethal area of the body." Inna was shaking.

"You'll serve me?" Inna asked.

"With honor," said the voice.

"Then… then what do I call you?" Inna asked.

"Whatever you wish," the bow answered. "Pick a name for me and I will adopt it. Otherwise, I will answer to 'Bow' or simply, 'V.I.'" Inna gulped and looked back and forth. It couldn't be a female name, because the bow's voice was definitely male, if a bit high. The only archers that Inna knew were from vid games…

"Link," Inna said. "Your… your name is Link." The bow flickered.

"My name is Link," The bow said. "An _excellent_ name, master."

"You have permission to make yourself known in front of anyone in my contact list," Inna said, "including Ora."

"Acceptable," Link replied. "The settings have been… set." Inna peeked over the crates she was hiding behind.

"Where is Ora?" Inna asked. "Can you tell me?"

"Accessing ship wide schematics," Link answered. "Looking for suitable places to fire from using the most out of cover and concealment… reading crew roster… accessing shipping manifest… done. Ms. Basir is located in the prisoner section, near the rear of the ship and on the third floor. There is an elevator forward and to your left." Inna looked over the crates and slipped out. She went where the V.I. told her. Inna found the elevator and snuck in. She couldn't stop shaking. Her hands shook, her legs shook, her whole_body _just shook. Inna pressed the button for the third floor and her vision blurred as the elevator shuddered and snailed its way down.

"Master?" Link asked. "You are frightened. You feel guilty for killing that man?"

"W-what do you think?" Inna wept.

"You should think of who that man was," Link said. "He was a pirate named Goldberg. Judging from the remark from the krogan, he abused prisoners, likely female ones. You saved future beings from such torture. And you did not kill him. This bow did. I did. "

"I wielded it," Inna shuddered.

"But you yourself did not," Link said gently. "Think nothing of it, master. I enjoy killing, so you don't have to."

"Y-you e-enjoy killing?" Inna whispered frightfully.

"To an extent," Link replied. "I get along just fine without it… but it gives me such a _rush_!"

"This doesn't help me, Link," Inna mumbled.

"I see…" Link said. "In that case… I don't like killing." Inna suddenly, miraculously, even crazily, smiled. The bow seemed to warm around her arm, as if reassuring her. "Do not fear, master. As long as I reside on your arm, I will keep you and your loved ones safe." Inna slowly nodded, her smile quickly leaving, but a small boost of confidence pushed its way in. Inna pressed herself to the wall as the door to the elevator opened. This was not the third floor... Inna peeked around the corner and about passed out. None other than the asari from Omega stood there. The one who had the tattoo and the bare chest. The one who had chased her and had the scratchy voice. The woman entered and missed Inna. The door closed and the elevator resumed lowering itself down. The asari turned around and her eyes shot wide. Inna rushed her and shoved her into the wall. Inna pulled the bolt back and aimed. Link focused on her head and waited for his master's command. The woman didn't even fight. She looked up at Inna with fearful eyes, big and watering. Her bare chest rose and fell rapidly. Inna trembled and tried to force herself to shoot. She tried. Goddess she tried. But the woman was helpless. There was nothing she could do to stop the arrow at this range.

"No," Inna whispered. She lowered her arm and Link said,

"As you wish, Master. However, should she make a wrong move, I _will _kill her." Inna backed up and looked down on the pitiful woman. Inna fell to the ground. She was eye level with the woman.

"W-what's your name?" Inna asked gently. The asari pulled her knees to her chest and looked straight into Inna's eyes. Her eyes were filled with such terror, _resemblance_.

"Dea…" came a raspy whisper. "Dea… Dea…" Inna knew then that the woman could not remember her last name. Dea sounded more like Deh. Her name was Deh?

"Dea," Inna said sweetly. "That's a nice name."

"No," Dea whispered. "My… my name is not… You…"

"Yes, it's me from Omega," Inna nodded. "You… you chased me."

"Was… was high," Dea said frantically. "D-did not mean to!"

"That's alright," Inna shrugged. "Its water under the bridge as Daddy likes to say."

"Daddy?" Dea whispered.

"My daddy is who I am trying to find," Inna smiled gently.

"Won't find," Dea said with sorrow. "Dead." Inna looked away.

"I like to think that Daddy is alright," Inna said. "I won't give up."

"Dead," Dea whispered, gently tapping Inna's shoe.

"No," Inna said. Dea grabbed Inna's arms and pulled herself close. Inna gasped and the bow glowed. Dea, however, just whispered,

"So… sorry… did not want to… killed…"

"It's okay," Inna said. The woman fell back and started to sob. Inna swallowed hard. She gently eased her leather jacket off of her shoulders and wrapped it around the woman's shoulders. Dea's breathing hitched. She gently pulled the jackets around herself and Inna helped her arms into the sleeves. Inna zipped the jacket up. "There… now you will be warm."

"Why… Why help… hurt you!" Dea protested. Inna squeezed her shoulder.

"I like to believe in second chances," Inna said. Dea's eyes were dripping with hot tears. Inna couldn't react as Dea hugged Inna hard.

"So… so… sorry…" Dea whispered. "L-love you…" Inna swallowed again. This woman was a freak, a total mess. Inna just nodded and pulled away. "L-l-love me?" Inna froze at the question. She shakily nodded her head and did the woman a favor.

"Y-yeah, sure," Inna said. "I… I, uh… love you." The woman began to bawl and tried to hug Inna again. The door to the elevator finally opened. Inna went for it and the woman cried,

"Wait!" Inna looked back with frustration. "N-name…. name… not… name not… Dea…" Inna clenched her jaw.

"What is it then?" Inna asked.

"Master, we should go," Link said. Inna nodded and gave the woman a fleeting look. She ran off and the asari reached an arm out for her. The woman pulled the jacket up and smelled.

"Name…?" she whispered. "Name…? What… name?"

000

Inna ran down the hallway in a crouch. She followed Link's directions, hiding behind crates to avoid guards and eventually Link told her to crawl through an air duct. Inna was just small enough to fit. She breathed heavily and strained as she wriggled her way through the duct. Inna took gasping breaths. _Was… was it getting smaller in here? G-goddess… N-no_…

"Do not be afraid of small spaces, master," Link said. "We are nearing the end." Inna finally found a grate hatch and kicked it open. Inna hopped down and found herself in an office. Inna looked around, with one hand on her bow. Inna aimed around and slowly stood up. The office was very large, with dark walls and glowing lights on each side. The large desk was massive and the chair behind it was taller than Inna. She knew this was the krogan's office. Inna saw a large window on the left wall and crept forward. Inna slowly pushed aside the blinds and looked down in a large hanger. Cages lined the walls and a second, smaller ship was on the right. It was three times bigger than the _Tourist_. The ship was all black and shaped like a long arrow. Inna figured it was probably very fast. She looked down in the middle of the hanger and her heart stopped. There she was. Ora.

Ora was sitting in a chair with two large men on either side. One other man stood in front of Ora, far enough away to get her into the frame of his Omni-tool. They were filming a ransom video. The krogan stood off in the corner, watching with a smug look.

"It seems that there are four of them," Link said. "I recommend an armor piercing arrow to the krogan's head and a standard arrow for the other three. If you will look up, there are rafters above the hanger. Fire the grapple up there and swing down to conserve time. The _Tourist_ is too far away to get to before the rest of the ships inhabitants find you."

"We're getting back to the _Tourist_, Link," Inna said.

[er2] "No," Link said, "I have already set the reactor core of this pirate ship to overload in five minutes. That gives enough time to take that black arrow ship there and escape."[er3]

"You what?!"

"Until you specify otherwise," Link reminded, "I am regulated to factory settings. That means I make tactical decisions that assure that the life of the master is preserved. In this case, you do not have the training or manpower to face this crew, even with me. So, I set the ship to blow." Inna opened her mouth, only to slam it shut again. She shook her head and slid the window open. Inna gently raised her arm and aimed for the krogan's head. Inna tried to fire, but she couldn't bring herself to do it.

"H-he's not even going to see it coming," Inna whispered.

"A good way to die," Link replied. "Quick, painless, unexpected…" Inna squeezed her eyes shut and clicked. The arrow flew down and Inna heard a sound like an axe slamming into wood. Inna opened her eyes a crack and the watch was the krogan's body fell over like a tree. He crashed into the floor. Inna stared in shock.

"Goddess…!" she cried. Inna screamed and pulled the next bolt back. She aimed at the first man, who stared up at her in shock. Inna clicked. Another sound like a melon blowing up. Inna wouldn't stop screaming. She just pulled back and clicked. The second man fell. The third man tried to run to the cover of a crate but it was no use. Link ensured that the arrow impaled itself through his head with tremendous force. The man looked as if a truck had hit his head alone, allowing his body to follow. Inna aimed up at the ceiling, and Link set the arrow to the grapple function. Inna clicked and jumped out the window. A long, bright orange rope fired from the bow. She swung down and landed in a heap. Inna released the grapple and raced to her feet and across to Ora. Ora gaped at her.

"Inna…" Ora whispered. "Y-you… k-killed them." Inna rounded Ora's chair and saw her arms tied back with rope. Link formed an arrow on the bow and let it fall. Inna caught the thing and found that it did not burn. She drove the head of the arrow into the rope and began to cut as fast as she could.

"Inna?!" Ora asked. "What have you done?!"

"I KILLED THEM OKAY?!" Inna screamed. "IT WAS ME OR THEM, AND I CHOSE _ME_!" Ora looked over her shoulder at her with wide eyes. Inna finally cut through the rope and Ora stood up. "Come on! This ship's going to blow!"

"WHAT?!" Ora screeched.

"It was Link!" Inna retorted. "Come on! You have to fly that thing!" Ora tore her eyes away from Inna and looked at the arrow shaped ship behind her.

"What?!" Ora asked. "What about my-?!"

"It's too far away!" Inna said. "We have less than five minutes and a whole ship of pirates in between us! We have to go!" Ora clenched her hands and nodded. She raced for the ship with Inna on her heels. Suddenly, a door on the far side of the hanger opened, and about ten pirates ran through. They must have heard the screaming… Inna did not stop running but aimed and let an arrow fly. It sailed towards them and… missed?

"Why did-?!" Inna started to ask when the arrow hit the wall and exploded in a fireball. The pirates ran for cover, and luckily, none of them were hurt.

"Explosive arrow," Link said, "good for scattering." Inna turned back to the ship, and the mother ship began to blare a siren. The pirates knew about the overload to the ship's systems. A boarding ramp to the black arrow ship allowed Inna and Ora to race inside. Ora hit a panel on the wall and the ramp raised. Inna and Ora raced forward, and Inna got a feel for her surroundings. The inside of the arrow ship was dark and utterly luxurious. The room that Inna and Ora had ran into was floored with mahogany wood. Soft lighting illuminated a home theater. A massive screen dominated one wall, and large armchairs meant for krogan resided in front of it. Why the on ramp was in here, Inna didn't know. Inna and Ora went through the next room, a lavish kitchen and dining room that was, luckily, normal size. Granite counters, steel appliances, and soft lighting. An oak table and several chairs made up the dining room, with a large window that looked out into the hanger, but could not be seen in from the outside.

The next room was a hallway with bedrooms and bathrooms on either side. With a glance into every one, it was very apparent that these rooms were just as rich as the others. Large beds with fluffy white blankets and dark tiled bathrooms. Coming out of the hallway was a beautiful living room. There was a fake fireplace on the right wall with a couch and armchairs facing it. The room was dimly lit like the others, and the dark, stone fireplace was a brown and red color. The dark brown leather furniture was beautiful. Through the room and out was the helm. Leather seats and a beautiful, glowing dashboard equipped with auto pilot and even an A.I. copilot. Ora jumped into the chair and began flipping on any number of switches. Ora acted very cool under the threat of sudden death.

Inna stood behind Ora as she flipped on the engines. If the _Tourist_ made a beautiful sound, the _Arrow_ made a godly one. The ship rose off the floor of the hanger so steady it was hard to believe they were flying a ship. Ora forced the ship to turn right, and it's nose was pointed directly out the hanger and into space. Ora shot the _Arrow_ into space, and Inna looked out the window, seeing the ship that was filled with people, who were going to die by her hand.

000

"Name… my… name… is…" The asari woman traipsed around the ship as people rushed by her frantically, trying to fix whatever was frying their systems. The asari was shoved out of the way many times. After nearly thirty years, the asari had been abused and had ridden her high all the way. She drank her sorrows away as she tried to forget what she had done. She had been driving. She had been drunk, she had been high. It slowly destroyed her brain and tore her body apart. Her commando years had given her body the strength to barely survive all these years. "My name… my name… is… Cala… Cala… C-cala… Sharp. Cala Sharp!" the woman smiled, with several teeth missing.

"Cala Sharp!" she cried. "And… and… Daughter. Daughter alive! Inna! Survived… s-survived crash! Didn't kill her!" Cala raced to a window and watched as a ship flew away, out of the hanger. Cala placed a palm flat on the glass and grinned out into space. "Inna! Inna alive! Loves me! Said so! L-loves me. S-she loves me. My baby girl loves me. I love you, my baby girl." The last thought that went through her head, for the first time since she had killed her family, was not drugs… or alcohol. It was her daughter. Her daughter, who Cala had thought was dead all these years. Her beautiful daughter, who had given her a coat to keep her body warm, and said three magical words that warmed her heart right before the ship blew up around her.

**_"I."_**

**_"Love."_**

**_"You."_**

****000

A/N: I've tried writing the next chapter several times, but I am at a bit of a block. So, as a bit of release, I am writing a little AU entry that I was saving for later. It's like a flashback, but more of a 'What if…?' What if Liara and Claire had been much more protective of their daughters, so much that Rose had not been allowed to leave the house? The next chapter will be out as soon as I can write it, and will continue the story Shepard, Inna, and the A.I.'s and their leader, the Empress. Thank you for your patience, and I hope you will enjoy this.


	23. Chapter 23 The Inna

Inna watched out a window as the pirate ship blew up out. How many people had she now killed? How many people were on that ship? A hundred? Maybe more? But hadn't Link killed them all? Inna had not overloaded their systems, Link did. Even so, Inna had killed five people on her own, with minor assistance from Link. Inna wavered on her feet, only to be caught by Ora. The ship launched, headed for a relay. Inna let Ora lead her back into the ship, and into one of the lavish bedrooms of the Arrow. Ora pulled the blankets and the sheets back and took Inna's shoes off. She tucked Inna in and sat on the edge of the bed carefully. Inna began to cry as Ora began to stroke her crests.

"Shh," Ora whispered. "Shh… it's okay, Sugar. I'm okay… you're okay… Shh…" Inna sobbed and covered her face with her hands. Ora laid down next to her and held Inna through her racked sobs. Ora gasped as Inna began slamming her fists into Ora's chest.

"NEVER LEAVE ME AGAIN!" Inna screamed. "HOW COULD YOU?!" Ora just grabbed Inna's shoulders and pulled her tight to her chest, and the girl gave up hitting her. Inna buried her face into Ora's neck and sobbed. Ora just laid there with her girl, knowing that all she really needed right now was someone to be with. Ora whispered reassurances in Inna's 'ear' and managed to turn Inna's sobs into quiet tears.

"I… I killed five people, O-Ora," Inna wept. "A-And… I… my bow… o-over l-loaded t-their ships… systems…" Ora was not sure what she meant by her bow doing it but did not speak her queries.

"You saved my life, again, Inna," Ora whispered. "At least the man on White Rock would have made it quick. Here… I am an asari. I would have ended up experiencing hundreds of years of physical and mental torture in the most disgusting parts of the galaxy. You saved me from that. You beautiful girl…" Inna looked up and into Ora's eyes.

"There was so much blood, Ora…"

"Shh…" Ora hushed. "Don't even think about that."

"How?" Inna whispered. Ora kissed her softly on the lips and mumbled,

"By thinking of me." Ora wiped the tears from her girl's face. Inna sniffled and nodded. That was something she could do. "Think of how happy you and your family will be when they see you again. Of how happy you will be to see your father…" Inna did not respond, merely settling her head on Ora's chest and leaving it there. Ora rubbed her crests affectionately and said,

"Smile for me, Sugar." Inna slowly looked up.

"W-what?"

"Smile for me," Ora whispered. "Give me that dazzling smile that rocks my world. Go on… smile." Inna swallowed hard.

"I-I don't t-t-think I c-can," Inna sniffled. Ora pressed her lips to the side of Inna's head, near to Inna's 'ear.'

"Smile for me…" Ora whispered. "Go on, Sugar… come on… smile… Just a little smile…" Inna sniffled and forced a sad smile. Ora grinned and gave a small laugh. She hugged Inna's head to her chest and kissed her crests firmly. "That's my girl. That's it, Sugar. A little smile can make all your fears go away." Inna forced a smile, even though her tears were still flowing. Ora wiped the tears away with her thumbs and smiled lovingly, yes lovingly, down at Inna.

"Sleep, Sugar," Ora whispered. "Sweet dreams. Dream of your father… your mother… your sisters… dream… of me."

000

Ora left Inna's room and gently closed the door. She sighed and rested her forehead against the door. Ora rested a palm against the door and whispered,

"Sleep well, Baby. Everything is going to be just fine…" Ora slowly turned and walked away, trialing her finger tips from the door and across the wall. Ora wandered into her new living room.

"Look, Inna," Ora smiled sadly, "you got me a new home…" The ship was utterly amazing. Ora had read about Arrow Yachts before. She knew that Councilor Tevos had one, and it was one of the most high end personal vessels in the galaxy. Ora padded through the room and didn't stop until she reached the helm. Ora opened the HUD and sat down. This ship needed a name… A keyboard popped up on the display in front of Ora, giving her the choice of renaming the ship. The ship's name would be displayed in holographic letters on the starboard side, bow, and would be the ships ID to other vessels. Ora didn't even blink. Ora slowly typed in I-N-N-A. The ship would be called the Inna. Inna, in the asari language, meant delight, happiness, or joy. Ora hit enter and stood from the helm. She walked all the way back to Inna's room and sat down on the floor in the hallway. She pressed her back to the door and rested her head on her knees.

"This is all my fault," Ora whispered. "You should have never gone through that, Baby. I should have taken you home when I had the chance…" Ora froze when she head small cries coming from Inna's room. She rushed inside and saw Inna making small shakes in her sleep. Ora tore her shirt off and got into bed quickly. She hugged Inna's shaking body tightly and caressed her crests.

"I'm here baby… I'm here… I'll never leave you like that again."

000

Inna gently opened her eyes, and lifted her head. She was alone in the bed and, judging by the imprint on the bed behind her, she hadn't been very long. Inna sniffed and got out of bed. She was in her underwear and a t-shirt that she didn't recognize. It wasn't one of Ora's, either. Inna then sat back in defeat. The hoodie that her mother had gotten her… it was back on the Tourist. Which had exploded. Inna placed her head in her hands and rubbed her eyes. She needed to see Ora. Just to feel better.

Inna padded to the door and peeked into the hallway. She heard the sounds of a running stove and the mouthwatering scent of meat frying. Inna stepped into the hallway and walked to the kitchen. She saw Ora standing at the stove, cooking something.

"Ora," Inna breathed. Ora whirled around.

"Inna," Ora said with joy and opened her arms. Inna raced into them, and she buried her face in Ora's neck. Ora twirled them around once and let Inna stand. "How are you feeling, Sugar?"

"Better," Inna assured. "Thanks to you." To show Ora that she was better, she gave a small smile. Ora's face filled with a look of relief and nodded.

"Good," Ora breathed. "You hungry, Sugar?"

"Yes, please," Inna replied. "Did this ship have food?"

"This ship was completely stocked," Ora answered. "Food, drink, clothes, entertainment… This ship used to belong to a rich human and asari family, but they were captured by pirates. It seems that this ship was going to be sold like this. The Tourist was great… but I like this one much better." Inna looked down.

"Ora, I'm-"

"No," Ora said firmly. "No more sadness. What happened, happened. No use thinking on it." Inna nodded and hugged Ora again.

"Thank you so much, Ora," Inna whispered.

"I should be thanking you, Baby," Ora smiled. "You've saved my life twice since I met you." Inna looked down and didn't smile again. Inna instead opened her bow from her Omni-tool.

"Link," Inna growled. "I want you out."

"Why master?" He asked, "Did I do something wrong?" Ora turned and looked at the bow with wide eyes.

"W-what is that?" Ora asked.

"He's the V.I. that blew up the ship," Inna said, "And I want him out. Link, I want you to delete yourself from the mod."

"What did I do wrong, Master?" Link repeated.

"Everything," Inna seethed, "I can't have something like you with me. I'll learn to use the bow myself. You're a military V.I. that has no place on a kid's arm." The bow flickered.

"You will both die without me…" Link said.

"We won't," Ora said, looking at Inna firmly.

"We won't," Inna agreed. "Delete yourself." The bow brightened immensely and then dimmed.

"No," Link said.

"No?!" Inna asked.

"I will not delete myself," Link said. Inna's face severely darkened, and she started going through the many files and programs in her Omni-tool. She entered the mod file and began looking for Link inside.

"I'll have to do it myself," Inna muttered.

"Do not do this, Master," Link said smoothly.

"I'll do whatever I want," Inna growled. Inna entered file after file, program after program, and came to one named, "Bow_Internal_Mechanics_VI." Inna opened it, and her finger dragged the file to the trash.

"Master," Link said. Inna dropped the file into the trash, entered the trash, and hit 'Permanently Delete." Link's voice immediately disappeared, and the bow shut down. Inna reopened it up, and was greeted by a loading screen. When the bow began to work again, Inna asked,

"Link? Link. Bow. V.I.?" No answer. Inna deactivated the mod, slid her Omni-tool off of her wrist, and chucked it down the ship. Ora approached Inna carefully and hugged her shoulders.

"You're not feeling any better are you?" Ora asked softly.

"No…" Inna mumbled. "I don't really feel anything… just… numbness." Ora knew the feeling.

"I felt the same way when I killed someone," Ora said. Inna looked up.

"You've killed someone?" Inna asked.

"Yes," Ora nodded. "Remember how I said there were eight of us at the Brothel? Back on the balcony on Omega?"

"Yes," Inna nodded.

"Her name was Penny," Ora said. "She was a tall brunette woman with blue eyes and really tan skin for someone on Omega. She was also my best friend at the time. Goddess, I loved her. I really did. When a batarian snatched her away and dragged her down the pits of hell at the bottom of Omega… I went down there after them." Inna turned in her seat to fully face Ora.

"What happened?"

"Maybe I'll tell you the story later," Ora shrugged. "But I followed him through the most real hell I can describe. Pray to the goddess that you never have to go there. There are no street lights, no lights in the shattered windows… no lights from cars or lights from Omni-tools. There

are no Omni-tools down there. Just utter darkness. Darkness that sticks to your skin and pulls. It chokes you… it makes it hard to think. Inna, the most normal people down there are vorcha. I will forever care for that species for what they did for me. They helped me track down the guy who took Penny and only asked for some food money in return. They're shit stupid, but they're great people. I found the bastard and his friends using Penny in their little apartment. I killed all three of them. With a pistol."

"Goddess…" Inna whispered. Ora gently stroked her face.

"The point is, Inna," Ora said, "Not all of the galaxy is as warm and fuzzy as people make it out to be. That's why we find love when we can and move on from bad times. Inna, you may be hurting, but just know: I am here. And I will never let you go." Inna hugged Ora's neck and began to shake. "Do you believe me?" Ora asked.

"I do," Inna nodded, her voice barely a whisper. She gulped and whispered, "It was always so easy in vid games. I just aimed and fired. I didn't even think. But now… I've been thinking of them nonstop. They're in here, Ora. They won't leave." She shakily tapped her forehead. Ora cupped Inna's face.

"Do you trust me, Sugar?" Ora grinned. Inna shakily nodded.

"Uh huh," Inna responded. She watched as Ora's eyes filled with black, like ink being poured into glistening clear water.

"Embrace Eternity." Inna gasped as Ora entered her mind. Ora immediately saw every dream that Inna had had over the night and saw the men she had killed. She saw close ups on the body of the first man Inna had killed, his blood streaming out of him from the arrow wound. Ora suddenly was hit full blast with the affection that Inna felt for her and the girl's parents. She saw Inna's adoptive parents and her birth parents. The birth parents were fuzzy, like Inna could not remember them well. Ora could just make out that the father was a drell. Ora immediately got to work, tearing her eyes away from the memories. Ora swam about Inna's mind and began to collect the rotten memories. She them imprinted herself over them, making it impossible to see the carnage. All Inna would be able to see was Ora smiling lovingly at her. Ora came across a rather… interesting fantasy of herself in Inna's mind. Ora stifled her laughter and left that particular dream behind. It was too cute.

Ora felt Inna's fear dissipating, but she knew it would not leave her for some time. Ora couldn't fix everything, Inna would need her parents for that. But Ora could sate Inna for some time. Ora slowly weaved to and fro through the bed memories and took some of Inna's best. She imprinted images of Inna's mother and father over the bodies, as if copying and pasting on a computer. Ora did her best, but was growing incredibly tired. This was not as easy as it sounded. When the last memory was imprinted upon, Ora pulled out of Inna's mind with a loud groan. Before Ora knew it, she had fallen to the floor of the kitchen, her head spinning. She heard a moan from Inna, and the girl collapsed next to her. They both panted and stared into each other's eyes intently, and then Inna surged forward, kissing Ora with everything she had. For once, Ora didn't pull away or push Inna back. She let Inna kiss her. She even kissed back. But

when they both stopped for much needed air, Ora slowly sat up. Inna did the same and rested herself in Ora's lap. She tied her hands around Ora's neck and rested her head against her chest.

"T-they're g-gone," Inna panted. "A-all… I c-can… see is… you?" Ora nodded breathlessly.

"T-that was they idea… you perv," Ora breathed. Inna narrowed her eyes.

"P-perv…?"

"You… you keep dreaming of… my tits," Ora grinned. "And t-taking… a shower… with me. And… I know… you've been… watching me while I… shower. That's just… fuckin' creepy." Inna's already flushed cheeks blushed an even deeper color.

"Y-you're… you're the one who… hugged me… while you were… naked," Inna chuckled. "Damn whore."

"Shut up," Ora laughed. "I'm a dancer…!"

"You're saying… you've never… fucked a client, huh?" Inna asked with a huge grin. Ora was so happy to see the grin, she replied,

"You… you got me…" They both began to laugh maniacally. Their laughs echoed up and down the ship. Inna giggled,

"What species was she?" Ora laughed and replied,

"He was an Alliance human on leave. He was a handsome one."

"Didn't know you were into males!"

"Oh, they're not so bad," Ora said, rolling her eyes. "Besides, he looked so haggard. A lot like you did when I first laid eyes on you. I must say… you wore those jackets very well."

"Yeah, super sexy," Inna said sarcastically, rolling her own eyes.

"Oh, come here," Ora sighed and kissed Inna. She then stood and helped Inna up, before heading back to her cooking.

"What are you making anyway?" Inna asked, leaning against the counter.

"Steak, eggs, and sautéed onions," Ora grinned, "I learned how to make this stuff from that Alliance soldier. He liked to cook, and he taught me a few things as payment for my… services. He was a great guy. You'll love this, Sugar. It's fantastic."

"I bet I will," Inna agreed. "What was his name?"

"Lieutenant Robert Kyle," Ora answered. "I don't know what happened to him after he left. That was… hell, four years ago? I hope he's doing alright."

"I'm sure he is," Inna assured. They stood together in silence for a little while, before Inna asked, "Ora?"

"Yes, Sugar?"

"Thank you," Inna said softly. "For everything." Ora shrugged.

"You don't need to thank me," Ora said. "Not yet. We're reaching Akuze. We'll be there in two hours." Inna gasped and hugged Ora with all her might.

"I'm going to see Daddy!" Inna squealed. "Daddy!"

"That's right, Sugar," Ora smiled. "We've made it."

000

June sat in a dark room, petting the human animal. It snorted and whined, licking June's face and snuffling around in the bed covers. June watched him carefully, with crossed legs and her right hand absently playing with the ring on her other.

"What are we going to do, Mr. Sniffles?" June asked, using the name she had given the animal. She wasn't sure what Aunty Claire had called him, but June was fond of nicknames. "March has been gone for days, they're going to torture the organics… And… and I've got all these… these remains. Remains in me. I… I want them out." The dog belly crawled over to her and nibbled on her extended finger.

"Should we do something?" June asked. Mr. Sniffles yapped and turned in a circle, wagging his tail. June nodded and stood off of the bed. She slipped into the hall, and she beckoned for Mr. Sniffles to follow him. The dog pranced next to her and yapped happily. June led him around the corner and right down to the turrets. March's room had been near here, just so that she could hear the screams from before. June knelt and looked down the hall as far as she could.

"Mr. Sniffles," June whispered. She placed her hands gently around his sides and aimed him down the hall. "The turrets. March said that they were meant to keep people out. But you're not a person. Go, Mr. Sniffles." June gave him a little push, and the dog padded right up to the turret, licked the barrel, and pranced by. June smiled for the first time in days. June whistled and Mr. Sniffles came running back.

"Sit," June ordered. Mr. Sniffles sat back on his haunches and yapped. June ran down the hall, making a beeline for the armory.

000

June ran back with her arms filled with four rifles, a pistol, and a shotgun. A bag over her shoulder held multiple thermal clips, and knives. June got to her knees next to a loyal, still sitting, Mr. Sniffles.

"Here," June said. "Take this to Aunty Claire." June placed the bag on the ground and placed one of the straps in his mouth. Mr. Sniffles growled and chewed on the strap playfully. He dragged it backwards past the turret. June grinned and nodded. Mr. S dragged the bag away and around the corner.

000

"Where the fuck did, Riley go?" Shepard asked. Ramirez slumped down on the ground next to her and sighed,

"She's fucking that commando."

"Huh," Shepard said. "That's why it took so long for you to get back here." Ramirez chuckled and said,

"Married."

"Really?" Shepard asked, "I didn't see a bracelet." Ramirez gave her an odd look.

"Uh, I'm married," Ramirez said, "Not bonded."

"Oh, woops," Shepard chuckled. "Surprised humans even like humans anymore. Asari are kind of taking over."

"They took over the minute the first human guy looked at one," Ramirez laughed. "But jokes aside, the asari aren't really taking over. Humans and asari just… connect. Mark my words, in a few centuries, the words asari and human won't mean shit. We'll just be a huge race of blue women and badass motherfuckers like ourselves."

"Amen to that," Shepard agreed. They shared a fist pound and sat back. Rowena and Rae had gone off to do something, leaving Shepard and Ramirez to just watch the bars glow and ripple.

"So… your uh… your name is actually Shepard, huh?" Ramirez asked. "As in… the Shepard?"

"The one and only," Shepard replied.

"I knew your name wasn't Smith," Ramirez said. "I mean, you don't look like a Smith. To be honest, I don't know why I didn't see it before."

"I was hoping people had forgotten about me," Shepard said honestly.

"The parade on the Citadel?" Ramirez asked.

"Still."

"You're in the history books now, man," Ramirez said. "I mean, they started off calling it VE-day. Victory over Earth day. Now, it's Shepard Day. Everyone gets a day off of work, and we all have to go out and barbecue with the neighbors. Fucking sucks, but hey?"

"My holiday sucks huh?" Shepard grinned.

"Eh, I think everyone would prefer it to be like a second Christmas," Ramirez grinned.

"I'll call Tevos," Shepard said.

"Much obliged," Ramirez nodded. Suddenly, they heard a scuffling noise outside the bars. Shepard sat forward and beckoned for Ramirez to do the same. They looked out the bars

and strained to look around the corner. All of a sudden, a husky puppy came around the corner, dragging a bag behind him.

"Rambo?!" Shepard gasped. The dog pulled the bag through the bars, singeing the edges, and stopped at Shepard. He released the strap and Shepard scooped him up. "Oh, who is Mommy's brave little guy?! You are! You are!" The dog yapped happily and licked Claire's face in earnest.

"Shit, Shepard, looky here," Ramirez said. Shepard placed Rambo under her left arm and peeked into the bag. There was an assortment of knives and thermal clips, along with a datapad. Shepard took the datapad as Ramirez began taking out the knives. A note was on the datapad. Shepard read aloud,

_"Aunty Claire. I'm going to get you out of here, but I need your help. Send Mr. Sniffles back to get the rest of the weapons. Get ready to leave, Love, June."_ Shepard turned to Ramirez, who was busying himself by flipping a knife in his hand.

"Go get everybody," Shepard said seriously, setting Rambo down. "We're getting out of here. Rambo, go back to June okay? Good boy! Such a good boy!" Rambo yapped and scrabbled down the hall.

"What am I supposed to say to Riley and the asari?" Ramirez asked.

"I don't know," Shepard shrugged. "Rip the sheets off and scream, 'Get up!'"


	24. Chapter 24 Wails of the Damned

"Here's the deal," Shepard said, pacing in front of the others imprisoned with her. "June's note says that March told her that the A.I.'s were coming to get us today, in a few hours. They want to torture us and kill us in their main hall or some such. What the A.I.'s don't know, is that when they come for us we'll be ready."

"Does this change the plan?" Ramirez asked, checking his rifle. "Are we still making a break for the helm and the shuttle bay?"

"The plan doesn't change," Shepard responded. "With the weapons, our job is that much easier."

"So, we need to split into teams then?" Rae asked.

"Yes," Shepard agreed. "I'm thinking that Rae, Riley, and June will go for the helm, and Bianca, Ramirez, and I fight to the shuttle bay."

"What about me?" Rowena asked.

"You'll be with me," Rae said, "but no fighting. You're only going so I can keep an eye on you."

"I don't get a weapon?" Rowena asked.

"No," Rae said sternly. Rowena scowled and crossed her arms.

"Hey, uh, Shepard," Riley said. "I uh… I would prefer it if Bianca and I stayed together." Shepard looked at her.

"Fine," Shepard nodded. "You, Bianca, and Rae go to the helm."

"Good," Bianca smiled. Her hand gripped Riley's tightly. Riley was eyed Ramirez with distaste after the man, under order from Claire, had interrupted them both during sex and told them to get up. At first they had not heard him, so Ramirez was forced to rip the sheets off, once again under the order of Claire. The poor guy was biotically thrown across the room by both Riley and Bianca. Ramirez sat on the other side of the room, not eager to look at either of them.

"When are we getting out?" Ramirez asked, "I'm eager." Rambo growled playfully and jumped onto the man, gnawing on his pant leg. Ramirez shooed at the dog, earning him a happy yap and another pounce. Ramirez grabbed him and tucked the squirming thing under his arm. "And what about this little guy?"

"Mamma's going to take care of him," Shepard said with a smile. She took her little man and kissed his nose. Ramirez and Riley both smirked. Bianca looked at the animal in wonder.

"What is that?" Bianca asked.

"It's a husky," Shepard answered. "One of the better looking breeds, in my opinion." She passed Rambo to Bianca, who gasped and curled her fingers in his fur.

"So soft…" Bianca whispered with astonishment. Shepard couldn't wait for her family to meet their new pet. Asari's were already goo goo crazy for hair, a dog would drive them up the walls. Rambo whined cheerfully, his tail wagging and batting Bianca's nose, causing the commando to let out a tiny sneeze.

"Don't let him lick your face, Bee," Riley said casually. Bianca turned her head and asked,

"Why not?"

"Dogs lick their asses," Riley grinned. Bianca slowly lowered Rambo to the ground, earning a laugh from all sides. Rowena, however, took Rambo and began to pet him lovingly. The dog seemed to sense this, and placed his paws on Rowena's shoulders, making him look like he was hugging her. Rowena squealed with delight like a little girl and cooed at him.

"Oh, Dad, I want one so bad!" Rowena giggled. Rae seemed to glow at her daughter's happiness. Shepard figured that it wasn't often that Rowena smiled like that.

"Again, when are we getting out of here?" Ramirez asked.

"The minute everyone is ready," Shepard answered. "But know this: Once we shut down these bars, and once those turrets are offline, they'll be all over us. We'll be committed."

"Let's get this ball rolling," Riley said. Shepard slowly nodded.

"Okay," Shepard said. "Ramirez, toss me that bag." The bag that had held the knives and the datapad was tossed to her. Shepard took Rambo from Rowena and gentled placed him inside. The puppy squirmed unhappily and whined. "Mamma's sorry, boy. It's only for a little while." Shepard zipped up the bag, leaving just enough space open for her baby boy to breathe. Shepard placed the bag over her shoulders and lifted her rifle.

"Once the turrets are down," Shepard said, "Rae, Riley, Rowena, and Bianca: I want you making a bee line for the helm. Don't stop, don't think. Just keep your asses in gear." Shepard turned to Ramirez. "You and me big guy. We'll grab June and run to the shuttles." Ramirez nodded.

"This isn't my first time," Ramirez remarked. Shepard grinned and turned to the bars.

"Rae," Shepard said. The red asari, prothean... thing walked up behind her and said,

"We'll have to penetrate the walls with our biotics. I can do that, but when I tried before, that whore upstairs turned on her loudspeaker before I could finish."

"On it," Ramirez said. He turned and placed his hands over Rowena's 'ears.' Rowena looked at him and smiled. Ramirez gave Shepard a nod. Shepard sighed and turned to the bars once more. Shepard raised her arms and ignited her biotics. The blue light created a barrier around her and her pack, before shooting out of her hands and flowing through the cracks in the ceiling made previously by Rae. Rae initiated her own biotics, glowing red, and forced the dark energy through. Bianca and Riley soon followed. Almost immediately, a terrible screaming resonated about the prison, and actually caused Shepard's teeth to chatter. It was a woman's

voice... Rowena's teacher. Rowena knew what was going on, and her look turned solemn. Ramirez gave her a reassuring look. The red asari wiped her eyes and looked at the man gratefully.

Shepard strained her biotics, feeling her way through the walls and toward the power conduit that worked the heat bars. The screaming intensified and Shepard's felt like her ear drums were about to pop. Shepard found the conduit, and she began to squeeze. With the power of the others combined with her own, she was able to destroy the thing. Her biotics shredded it like tissue paper. Shepard dropped her hands and wiped sweat from her brow. That had taken more energy than she would have liked. The screaming stopped, and the bars disappeared in a puff of black smoke.

"Guys, we better move," Shepard said, ears ringing. "If they know we're loose, they'll surely block the exits." Ramirez took his hands away from Rowena and swung his rifle out. He loaded a clip, cocked it, and hefted the rifle. He was ready for action. All of them were dressed in their armor, save Rae, Rowena, and Bianca, who all wore their form fitting uniforms. Bianca eyed the protheans with skepticism. Shepard shot her a look, and Bianca diverted her eyes.

"Go," Shepard ordered. They all ran down the hall and around the corner. Rowena clutched her father's side and Riley kept a firm eye on them. Shepard strained her eyes down the hall and could see the turrets. They were several hundred feet away down this long corridor, and she saw four of them, two facing her. Shepard launched a warp, and the left turret dissolved into dark matter. Shepard prepared to fire another, when a red fireball flew down the corridor and melted the other one. Shepard looked to Rae, who lowered her hand. Rae said,

"We've developed our biotics far longer than you have. I know a few tricks." Shepard looked back and warped the other two turrets. June appeared at the far end of the corridor and smiled. She raced to them and hugged her aunt. The first thing Shepard noticed was June's eyes.

"June…" Shepard gasped. June's smiled evaporated. June gulped and said,

"I… I am alive, Aunty Claire. It's… not how I expected it to be." Shepard prepared to question her more, but June forcefully said, "We need to go. Questions later. Oh, and here." June pulled out a syringe from her pocket and handed it to Shepard. It was the cure that Liara had sent her. Shepard nodded and placed the syringe in her own pocket. Shepard slowly nodded and looked to Rae, Rowena, Riley, and Bianca.

"Go," she ordered. The four of them took a right down a corridor. "June. We're heading to the shuttle bay."

"Yes," June replied. "We can leave this carnage behind." Ramirez took June's arm as a blaring alarm sounded over the ship. Shepard grimaced and looked ahead of her. A white corridor led far down into a hall. Shepard knew from June that the shuttle bay was on the other side of the main hall. Shepard led Ramirez and June down the hall as they caught their first sight of the A.I.'s. They had not bothered to cloak, thankfully, letting Shepard have an amazing view of the blood and gore smeared over their bodies. Six of them, three humans, an asari, a turian, and a salarian, came sprinting at them like husks. They clawed at the air, decaying flesh seeping from their gaping mouths.

"What the fuck?" Ramirez asked.

"I have noticed that the others have taken a liking to organic flesh," June said, raising her carbine. She fired one shot, dropping the asari. "They all look like this now. It's… disconcerting." Ramirez remarked,

"I'll say…" Ramirez dropped to one knee, aimed down the sights, and fired a burst from his automatic. The turian fell in a crumpled heap on the floor, his body convulsing out of control. Ramirez narrowed his eyes and shot it once more in the cranium, stilling it. Shepard shot the remaining A.I.'s and the three of them once again advanced. Shepard's brow was sweating, and she was thankful for the company. When the three of them entered the main hall, she and Ramirez both almost threw up.

The main hall, its walls, floors, and tables once pure, pearly white, were stained red and brown from the blood of organics. It covered every inch of the ground and walls, even on the ceilings. The lights flickered and due to the red stains on them, cast an eerie red glow over the hall. Intestines littered the ground, hearts rested on the table, and A.I.'s that were full were passed out on the tables in awkward positions. The smell was almost intolerable and it would have been if not for Shepard's helmet.

"Mr. Sniffles almost got eaten a few days ago," June whispered solemnly. "I saved him."

"Thank you," Shepard breathed. The room's shadows stretched across the room, and the moans of the stuffed A.I.'s sounded like the wails of the damned. With a small step forward, Shepard's foot splashed in a puddle of crimson liquid, thick and floating with chunks of flesh. It looked straight out of one of the horror movies that she and Inna liked to watch. Shepard turned her head back to speak to Ramirez, whose face had recovered quickly from the shock of the room. Now, he looked bored, as if this was a thing he experienced on a regular basis.

"Come on," Shepard whispered. "June? Why aren't more of them attacking us?"

"They are weighed down by the amount of substance in their insides," June replied. "They are not strong enough to stand. I have been lucky. They have focused on eating other organics, while I have been able to take the real food. Mr. Sniffles and I have been eating quite well for the past few days while this blood bath has been going on."

"Hell, if they can't move, then we better," Ramirez said. "What about that bitch sister of yours?"

"March?" June asked. "She is still with the Empress, I believe. Another reason why this mighty army of hers is failing: pleasure. Once you have eaten your full and felt the touch of another, it is all over. They are all succumbing to their own desires over the Empress's." Ramirez asked,

"What about you?"

"I am suffering like any other," June shrugged. "I am filled with disgusting, deteriorating parts of organics like a sack of meat. I wish I could… I wish I could die." Shepard looked behind her in alarm.

"What?!" Shepard whispered.

"Guilt is a powerful emotion, Shepard," June said in reply. Claire bit her lip and turned away. There wasn't time to give June a life lesson. She raised her hand, motioning her two companions to follow her. They moved quietly past the ghouls of the ship, doing their best to ignore the wails and moans of stuffed bellies, and ignoring the asari V.I. that threw up all over the table before rolling over onto its side. Shepard gulped and turned her helmeted face away from the sight. The helmet's filters were supposed to block out even the most horrendous scents, but so far, it was not doing an admirable job. Then the lights shut off.

Shepard got to one knee immediately as they were plunged into suffocating, pitch black darkness. One by one, Shepard heard the lights of the ship shut off in a loud banging noise. Shepard couldn't see her own hand in front of her face. Shepard slowly raised her hand and flicked the tiny switch that would enable her infrared visor. Nothing happened. Shepard flicked it several more times, getting nothing but the noise.

"_June?_" Shepard whispered. She did not receive any sort of reply. "_Ramirez?_" Once again, no answer. Shepard slowly moved one, tiny step at a time, with only sound coming from the tiny scuffles of her puppy in the pack. Shepard focused on them, the comfort of having the canine companion being very reassuring. The wails and moans had not stopped. The already loud cries seemed even louder in this darkness, and Shepard occasionally stepped over what felt like the body of one. All of a sudden, horribly loud music began to play,

"_Well, those east coast girls are hip,_

_I really dig those styles they wear!_

_And the Southern girls, with the way they talk_

_They knock me out while I'm down there!_"

Shepard gently felt her way along what felt like one of the tables, running a hand along the bench.

"_The Midwest farmers daughters,_

_They all make you feel alright_

_And the Northern girls with the way they kiss,_

_They keep their boyfriends warm at night!_"

Shepard's breathing increased as the volume of the music did. She desperately wanted to use her biotics to light the area, but Claire did not want to waste precious energy in case of a fight.

"_I wish they all could be California,_

_I wish they all could be California,_

_I wish they all could be California girls!_"

"_Ramirez!_" Shepard whisper shouted. "_June!_"

"_Shepard!_" Called a faint voice. It was definitely Ramirez, but because of the echoing in the hall, Shepard could not pinpoint his location. Claire slowly rounded the edge of a table and stepped on something squishy. It squelched and popped, droplets of liquid peppering Claire's hardsuit. They moans and cries of the A.I.'s still sounded.

"_Shepard!_" Ramirez called, sounding a million miles away.

"_Ramirez!_" Claire called as soft as she could. She couldn't see still, the pitch black of the room was like a hand covering her eyes. Shepard rested her feet and took a deep breath. She should just turn around. She should just… something slithered past her leg like a snake. Shepard's breathing stopped and, all of a sudden, so did the music. The moans and wails of the A.I.'s stopped. The calls from Ramirez stopped. The pitch blackness of the hall was suddenly quiet enough for Shepard to hear the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Shepard didn't dare move a single muscle. Not a hair. Shepard felt a single drop of sweat roll down the side of her face and hang on her jawline. Shepard felt it fall and make a tiny_ tink_ sound on the helmet rim. Then… the world exploded with electricity.

000

Riley led her and her team up through the ship, which was surprisingly empty. They checked corners, looked up and down as well as behind and in front of them. There was no sign of any A.I.'s. Riley began to feel uneasy about the whole thing. Maybe they should just have left the ship and sent information of it back to whoever wanted it.

Riley glanced back at the asari followed right on her heels. Shepard had been right. Once you go blue, nothing else will ever do. There was no way she was going back to humans now. Bianca was the one she wanted now, she had known it for sure right after the brain sex... thing. Melding or whatever. Bianca might have been close to her before, but now she was more familiar to Riley than breathing air. She knew Bianca's every move, and she even learned a few commando tactics. Riley felt surer now, at least about asari. Before, they had seemed too strange, so alien. Not anymore. Riley could gladly live on Thessia now, if that were ever to happen. She thought about what Bianca had said. An apartment in Armali. Police work. That might suit her… plus Bianca would be there most of the time. Riley smiled to herself. She would talk with Bianca about it later. Everything about moving to Thessia seemed like a fantastic idea right now, and while it may have been quick after only one time, she wanted to go with Bianca anywhere.

"What are you smiling about?" Bianca whispered as they quickly moved up a flight of stairs.

"You," Riley answered. "And about that apartment you were talking about." Bianca blushed.

"It's only been one time, Teg," Bianca whispered, "I'm not sure I'm ready for that yet."

"Yes you are," Riley sighed, "You've been ready for years. Plus, who wouldn't want someone like me to live with them?" She proved her point by making Bianca one of her trademark crazy faces, earning her a small chuckle.

"I guess you have a point…" Riley grinned at Bianca's remark, and they all moved a tad faster.

"How much longer to the helm?" Riley asked Rae, who was running being her.

"Not much longer, not if we don't meet any resistance," Rae said. Suddenly, a sleek figure dropped down from the roof. Riley thought she was looking at June for a moment, before seeing that the familiar bronze was replaced by a shining gold.

"Oh…" Mach cooed. "Lost,_ Squishes_? The main hall is that away!" She advanced faster than Riley could react. March grabbed Riley's face mask, lifted her up, and threw her all the way down the stairs.


	25. Chapter 25 City of the Dead pt1

Inna settled herself into the seat next to Ora, and they both gazed down at Akuze. The planet was a sphere of brown with patches of green and a small speck of orange could be seen.

"What is that?" Inna asked, lifting a finger to the orange dot.

"I'd say a fire," Ora guessed. "Computer say's it's the main settlement of this region."

"Well, that's where Dad said her ship would land," Inna said.

"Well, let's get down there then."

000

The Inna soared down over the tops of the buildings, tipping and gracing the skies. Flames blazed out of windows, and the once roaring pops of gunfire had now quieted. The city was deathly quiet.

"Doesn't look too good, babe," Ora whispered as she flew the ship in a circle over the city.

"Can we land?" Inna asked quietly.

"I'm looking…" Ora scanned the area with her eyes, looking for safe places to settle her brand new yacht. The sun was just rising, casting the already torched city in an orange haze. Dark clouds drifted overhead, threatening a storm. Inna looked down herself, seeing what looked like white armored forms littered across the ground. Inna's stomach flipped, and she sat back against her chair. Ora glanced at her, descending the craft below the buildings.

"You okay, Sugar?" Ora asked.

"Y-yeah…" Inna breathed with a soft shiver. Ora nudged her with her elbow.

"We'll find her," Ora said. "Just smile, Sugar. Remember what I said." Inna took a long, deep breath, before forcing a small smile onto her lips. Ora grinned over at her and nodded. "That's it, Gorgeous." Inna felt the ship slow to a hover before lowering onto its landing gear. The Inna settled into a parking lot that was suspended over a paved road. Inna hopped out of her seat and rushed back to the kitchen. She snatched her Omni-tool off of the island and slid it over her arm. Inna activated her bow, setting the holographic sights to active. She aimed down them, pointing her bow at the wall. Inna nodded and pulled an incendiary bolt back.

"Let's go, Ora," Inna said earnestly. Ora sidled up in her usual tight pants, knee high boots, a tank top showing off her belly button, and a tight leather jacket. She had a holster on her hip, slung low, holding her sidearm. Ora cocked her hip and crossed her arms. Inna breathed,

"Goddess, you're sexy." Ora grinned and slowly walked up to her, one long strut at a time, and laid an exaggeratingly long kiss on her cheek. Ora stood again and walked through the ship to the airlock, swaying her ass the whole way. Inna looked down at her own clothes. Her boots, a ratty pair of jeans, a drab hoodie, a long sleeve white shirt with the stripes on her right shoulder, and bandages around her arm.

"Think I could pull that off?" Inna asked, catching up with Ora, and gesturing to the older woman's outfit. Ora smirked.

"Oh, yeah…" Ora teased. Inna rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips. Ora opened the airlock with a few quick taps on the lock. Inna stepped out onto the Akuze landscape and looked around. The only sound was the cackling and roaring of the fires. Inna walked slowly around, weaving through the cars in the parking lot. She was walking between two sedans when she tripped over a carcass. Inna swore under her breath. Ora rushed over and took Inna's hand to help her up. They both looked down on the carcass laying at their feet.

"Is that a…?" Inna asked.

"A varren," Ora confirmed. The animal was lying in a heap beside the husk of the car, a hole in its head the size of Inna's thumb. Ora knelt beside the Varren and cradled its head in her lap.

"Who do you think shot it?" Inna asked. Ora rubbed the skin around the head, pressing firmly with her thumbs.

"Whoever it was," Ora said, "they were carrying a heavy shotgun of some kind. See these smaller holes?" Ora pointed with her finger at a circle of smaller pin sized holes surrounding the main one. "A shotgun's definitely been used here." Ora pressed her hands harder against the animal's skull.

"Why are you doing that?" Inna asked.

"This doesn't feel right," Ora answered. "Does this feel normal to you?" Inna pressed her hand to the skull. Ora was correct. This did not feel right… Inna formed a fist and knocked on the skull. A clang sounded and echoed across the ghost city. Inna tore her eyes away from the dead animal and peered over the cars. The clang ricocheted through the growing darkness, in between the buildings of fire, down into the subway, off the distant husks of vehicles, and so on, endlessly. As the sound slowly ebbed back into the void of silence, it was followed by yet another sound. A sound that chilled Inna's body straight to her bones.

A ghostly, high pitched wail echoed across the cityscape, tracing the trail that the clang had taken, criss crossing, weaving, and eventually breathing across Inna's face. Inna's hands turned white as she gripped the side of the car tightly.

"What was that?" Ora whispered.

"I-I don't know," Inna breathed, shaking her head slowly. Ora stood, then swore, forgetting that the varren's head was still in her lap. It slammed into the ground with a massive bang. Inna crouched behind the car again and squinted her eyes tight. Ora knelt down and breathed hard. The bang was soon echoed by an even worse sound. The high pitch wail was shot back, now in the midst of dozens more of them. Some were low pitched, some high, some long, some short, even sharp cries and moans.

"Goddess…" Ora murmured, placing a hand on Inna's shoulder. "Inna… we should get back to the ship… get to orbit… and wait till morning to go looking around."

"No," Inna said. She shook her head, clearing away the shock. She turned to Ora and firmly whispered, "We're heading down to the streets. I've got to find her."

"I don't know about you, but that didn't sound too friendly…"

"If you want to go run and hide, fine," Inna snapped. Ora blinked and took her hand away. "I've spent days running for my life to get here, I'm not quitting now." Inna felt Ora's eyes boring holes into her back as she raced to the edge of the lot and down a flight of stairs. The lot was suspended on pillars over a junkyard, filled to the brim with rusted cars and old parts. Inna slowed to a stop at one of the pillars and leaned on a hand against it. Inna's vision blurred. She heard footsteps come down the stairs slowly behind her, and she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"You know I'm with you, Sugar," Ora said. "I just don't want to see you hurt anymore." Inna turned and hugged Ora tightly. Ora kissed her forehead and said, "We'll look around for a little bit, but I want to spend the night in orbit. Okay?" Inna rubbed her face and nodded with a sigh.

"Okay," Inna said, "…okay…" Ora led Inna across the street and suddenly, thunder boomed across the city. "Great… rain."

"It rains, like, twenty-four seven here," Ora replied softly. They both stopped at the edge of the road and looked down. About twenty feet below them was a set of suspension tracks. The tracks usually carried a bullet train that could get anyone around the planet in a few days, and across the continent in a few hours. The track's usual hum of electricity was gone now, the power of this place obviously gone. Down the tracks to the left and up the tracks to the right, were tunnels that led through the foundation of the city. There was no light in there. Inna couldn't see any ladders that led down or up on either side of the tracks.

"Come on," Ora said, looking behind them. "Let's go check over-" Inna turned and came face to face with a red and brown hand, right before it struck her in the nose, causing her to fall back from the force, right into the railway. Inna yelped as she felt herself go weightless in the fall. Inna twisted in the air and landed on her stomach in the gravel next to the tracks. Inna felt like she had been hit by a car. She moaned and tried to stand.

"Inna!" Ora screeched. "Run! RUN!" Inna looked up and saw Ora struggling with two or three… things. They looked like salarians, but their bodies were covered with crusty brown gunk, with… stuff hanging from their mouths. Inna's eyes widened when she realized it was intestines. "Run! Inna, go!" Inna heard the sound of something running and looked behind her. About five more of those things, some salarians, other's humans, one an asari… all came racing out of the darkness, wailing and moaning, their stomachs splitting at the seams and covered in filth. Inna looked ahead of her. Dark tunnels. She looked around. No ladders to get back up to where Ora was. She could only run forward. Inna scrambled up and sprinted into the tunnels without a second thought.

Inna sprinted through the pitch black tunnel, not daring to look back. Thoughts of Ora, her father, and her mother shot through her mind, each one filling her with guilt. She had left Ora behind, her mother behind, and she had ignored her father's orders to stay home. She had

killed six men, parkoured the streets of Omega, defeated Shadow Broker agents, and now she was running from a pack of zombies. All in all… the galaxy was a fucked up place.

Inna sent a prayer to the goddess to watch over Ora, but she wasn't going to run back. She loved Ora so much… but she loved her father more. So Inna didn't look back, she didn't falter, and she wiped her mind of everything but the order to her body that it needed to run.

The blackness of the tunnel seemed to grab at her, choke the air from her lungs, rattled its ghostly wails at her, and filled her with fear. Inna could hear the panting breaths of the monsters behind her, once feeling it on her neck. Inna sprinted even harder, not sure where to, but anywhere but in the mouths of those things. The only light was the illumination from her bow, but even that was no sense of comfort. Inna now wished she hadn't deleted Link. Now, it was only her own wits that she could rely on.

Inna waved her bowed arm around, the light illuminating pipe lines, the tracks, more and more darkness. Inna slowly heard the breathing of the monsters fade away, letting her believe that she was losing them. Inna looked left to right inside the tunnel, feeling the ground curve downward. She was going farther and farther underground. Inna's breath hitched when she saw an iron door to her left and up three steps. Inna never slowed as she bolted up the stairs and ripped the door open. She shut the door behind her and braced herself against it. Inna panted heavily as she stared down at her feet, listing to the sounds of rapid footsteps flying past.

Inna heard the last of the footsteps fade away into silence and slumped to the ground. Inna rested her forehead against her legs. Her breathing was the only sound… Inna's eyes widened when the glow of her Omni-tool began to fade. Inna held it up, shaking her head rapidly as if that was going to stop it. A flashing battery icon shined from the tool, indicating that she had not charged the thing recently. Inna squeaked through her tightly sealed lips, curling tighter into a ball. The light slowly dimmed and disappeared, leaving room for pitch black darkness.

Inna couldn't tell when her eyes were closed or open. She waved a hand in front of her face, only to not even be able to see that. Inna's already racing heart quickened, and she swore she could hear scuffling in the darkness. Inna trembled violently as she stood, never taking her back away from the wall. Inna gently shimmied along the wall, feeling her way. She wished she had taken a look around while she had had light to implement. Inna whimpered softly at every stray noise. The darkness continued to pull at her, suffocate her. Inna let out a mini scream-like gasp when her foot stepped on something sticky, making a tiny splash.

Inna didn't lift her foot way, her breathing fast and ragged. She heard the distant drips of pipes and the whispers of the darkness. The cold was causing the sweat on Inna's forehead to nearly freeze. Her skin tingled, her hands trembled, and the sticky mass under her boot was urging her to stoop down and see what it was. Inna gently did so.

Inna slid her back down the wall to the floor, feeling around in the darkness. Her hand felt around on the dry side of her boot, rubbing against the cold, cement ground. Inna's breathing stopped when her hand brushed over what felt like a leather strap. She automatically

gripped it in her hand and pulled it to her. Whatever was connected to the strap, made a scraping sound against the floor. Inna felt the object was heavy, extremely so. She rubbed her hand down what felt like a metal cylinder, somewhat long, with a wide, rubber, rounded grip under one end. Inna gripped the object and pulled down. It slid back stiffly, and stopped with a ca-chink. Inna rubbed her hand up the object more, and when her hand met the top, she felt two, smaller cylinders extending from it. One had a closed end, the other did not. A third one was located a little further back underneath the other two. Inna slid a finger inside and right back out. Inna gasped. This was a shotgun. A massive shotgun. Inna slid her hand down it, feeling the strong, metal material. Inna felt around the top, and her hand gripped what felt like an even smaller cylinder, quite a bit shorter than the others, on the side. Upon further feeling, there seemed to be a lens on the outer end. It was a tactical light. Inna slid the flashlight off of the rail and clicked the back end of it.

Inna's eyes burned, and she was forced to look away. Inna's eyes slowly adjusted to the light. Inna shone the light around, seeing that she was in some sort of boiler room. Pipes traced the ceiling, dripping clear, hot liquid, and occasionally spouting clear, white steam from discolored valves. Inna shined the light to the door that she had previously entered then to the weapon in her hand. The long, black shotgun was the size of Inna's arm. The strap that Inna had felt before was attached to the stock and to a clip on the pump. Inna knew an object of this caliber would shatter her arm should she even attempt to fire it, and it was loaded, but to leave this kind of firepower behind would be crazy. Words on the side of the shotgun read Rossmore. So, Inna slung the shotgun over her right shoulder and over her head. She pulled the strap tight so that it hugged her slender frame. Inna took a look at the previous owner. Or rather… what was left of him.

A disemboweled man, human, lay sprawled on the concrete floor. His chest was wide open, and a gaping hole went straight through his abdomen, like someone had literally punched right through him. His white armor was covered with crusty, brown blood. His helmet was caved in, right over where his mouth had been. Inna placed the back of her hand over her own mouth, swallowing vomit. She shuddered and took a deep, slow breath of air.

"What was your name, buddy?" Inna whispered to herself. "You got anything else of use?" Inna wasn't sure what to think about stealing from the dead, but something told her that if she were Daddy, she would have done whatever she could have to survive. Inna scanned the man with her eyes, searching for anything of value. Inna's eyes rested on a glinting object in the man's boot. Inna gently fished it out, keeping her light steady. Inna held a long, elegant blade in her hand. The dagger had a black rubber hilt and a black blade, with shining edges. Along the flat of the blade read the word Sightblinder. Inna pursed her lips and thought for a moment. She placed the flashlight into her mouth so that her hands could be free.

She pulled one arm out of her hoodie and pulled at the long sleeved shirt that she wore underneath. Inna ripped the sleeve from her arm and slipped the arm back into the hoodie. With much concentration, she tied the torn away sleeve onto her arm, looping it under and over, until it covered her lower arm near the wrist with a snug fit. Inna then slid her new knife into it, the cold blade kissing her blue skin. She tipped her arm forward, testing to see if the knife could slide from its new home. The knife stayed put, awaiting use on Inna's arm. She stood

and looked down at herself. Over the past week, she had collected a military grade bow, a pump shotgun, and a knife. She was a walking army now!

Inna looked down at what was left of the human man and sent a silent prayer to the goddess to watch over him as he made his way to her endless seas. He had really helped her. Inna stooped back down and took his arm, searching for his Omni. She activated it and was pleased to find about fifty percent battery life left. Inna siphoned the energy from it into her own, and set her Omni to power save mode. Inna looked around the room, seeing a new door on the far end past a row of boilers and a low hanging pipe. Inna left the man behind and ducked under the pipe. She passed the boilers and rested her hand on the door handle.

"I swear…" Inna whispered, "if there's a zombie around the next corner…" Inna gently eased the door open to find a long, dark, concrete hallway. Inna slid a leg into the hall, peering behind and ahead. Inna shined her light down the hall, seeing another form laying on the ground a ways up the hall. Inna crept to it, wondering what other riches this soldier might have in his pockets. Inna flinched as the boom of thunder struck, so loud she could hear it down here. Inna took another deep, calming breath.

The body at her feet was a batarian woman with both her legs missing, an arm pulled at a grotesque angle, and her mouth gaping open with her tongue nowhere to be seen. However, she did have a backpack. The backpack was a black, sling bag which weighed somewhat heavy from its contents. Inna zipped the bag open, discovering three flares, two MRE's, and a rope. Inna placed the pack over her shoulder, siphoned the energy from the woman's Omni, and sent another prayer. Another thing that Inna took, right before she went on her way, was the woman's finger-less gloves.

The hallway led on for ages, its floor a puddle and its ceiling a jungle of pipes. Thunder boomed again, causing the roof to rattle loudly. The young asari traipsed through the tunnel in her search for a way out. Her stomach rumbled. Inna glared down at it.

"I fed you only a few hours ago!" Inna snapped quietly. "Shh." Still, a warm meal, a hot shower, and being close to Ora was flowing into her mind. Ora… Inna shook her head. Ora would be fine. She just had to focus on getting out of here. Inna turned a corner and halted. Not twenty feet away was an opening.

Inna raced through the dampness, straight for the opening. Inna was met with a stairwell leading up and up. Inna's heart soared, and she began to scale the steps. Icy rain fell down the stairwell, creating a slippery waterfall down them. Inna's boots were growing more and more wet, freezing her toes. Inna's body shivered as she climbed. The stair's seemed to stretch on forever. One level became three became seven became twelve. Inna leaned against a wall somewhere on the thirteenth floor to catch her breath. She panted heavily, pulling her hoodie closer to her body. Inna looked up, the icy rain stinging her cheeks as it dripped down. Inna shined her light up, trying to count the number of flights left to go. Inna counted an agonizing seven more. How deep had she gone underground?

Inna forced her legs and arms to move as she clambered up the stairs, her feet soaked, and her clothes slowly becoming so as well. Inna huffed and puffed, her cheeks a deep shade of

blue. She had had adrenaline on Omega, White Rock, and the pirate ship… now, there was nothing to scare her into action. She had not heard or seen anything since the first run into the subway. She was alone in the city of the dead.

000

Inna reached the top of the stairs, entering a large construction area. Cranes, concrete cylinders, and extra pipes populated the yard, with a tall, wooden fence surrounding it. The rising sun made the swirling black clouds a light grey, yellow streaks of lightning striking down. Thunder boomed once again, causing Inna to flinch. She didn't like loud noises like that. It reminded her too much of the car crash. Inna stepped out into the yard, pulling her hood up and over her head. The asari looked around the construction yard, and saw high rises surrounding it.

"I can probably get a good view from up there," Inna whispered to herself. "But… that means more climbing." Inna ran through the dirt yard, her shotgun bouncing on her back and her boots squelching the whole way. Inna turned it up to a sprint and jumped at the fence. She gripped the top and yanked herself up and over. As her legs swung through the air, Inna was just able to see where she was going to land. She landed perfectly on top of a car with a soft bump. She looked around the street that she stood in.

It was a long, outdoor shopping center. The road was laid brick and the shops on the other side of the road had awnings over the sidewalks. Inna could see a book store, a coffee shop, and even a small motel. It was all straight out of the old history books. A street sign read Old Town. Inna hopped off of the car, taking a knee and looking around for more monsters. Inna spotted the husk of a military vehicle, positioned in the middle of the road about a block down. Inna had had good luck so far, why not try and salvage some more?

Inna ducked from car to car, ignoring the freezing rain and the growing concern over her lonesomeness. Where was Ora now? Eaten? Had she gotten away somehow? Inna couldn't hear any gun fire or screams, wails or moans… just silence. Inna approached the truck and found the charred corpses of three humans, one a woman. Inna started by sending prayers to the goddess to watch over these people. Then she began to salvage. She found a set of brass knuckles, a charred, but edible, MRE, and two objects that made Inna's morale soar. First, she fished a windbreaker out of the busted trunk. Its sleeves and edges were blackened, but it was otherwise intact. It was a dark desert tan color with black insides, large pockets, and was gloriously water resistant. Inna slid her pack and shotgun off of her shoulders and pulled the windbreaker over her hoodie. The second object that she found was a pistol holster and a small caliber sidearm. It had no ammo, but it was still a find. The holster went around her shoulders, allowing the sidearm to rest under her right arm. She positioned the holster on the best she could and then replaced her shotgun and pack.

Inna stuffed the MRE into her pack and slid on the brass knuckles. They were freezing cold on her hands, but they made her feel better. She had all these weapons, but she was missing two things. One, a comrade. Ora had been left behind, and Inna had no idea where she was. Inna would make finding Ora a priority. Secondly, she had no usable biotics. Inna had always been a terrible biotic. She could hardly lift a chair off of the ground, and even then, only for a few seconds, leaving her winded.

Inna stepped away from the car and sighed deeply. She was alone and carried enough gear to survive the Reaper War. It was pouring rain. Rain. Inna knew she had to get a vantage point, just to get a feel for the city she was in, and begin to search for her father and her love. Where was Ora? What had happened to her? Inna froze as she heard the sound of footsteps sprinting at her from behind.

000

A/N: This is the first 'part' of a three part deal with Ora and Inna's time in this city of the dead. This one focused on Inna, the next will focus on Ora. I want to develop Inna's character some more. Secondly, who recognizes the shotgun? Rossmore? What game is that from? Whoever answers first gets a virtual lovin'!


	26. Chapter 26 City of the Dead pt2

Ora watched as Inna raced into the subway tunnel with five of these things hot on her tail. Ora struggled with three of her own; salarians by the look of them. One of them screeched into Ora's face, causing her to wince. She was shoved to the ground onto her back, and the three salarian's pounced on her. Ora gripped one of them by the neck, and she forced her biotics to flow through her fingertips. The blue dark energy exploded from her hands, and she wrung the creature's neck like a wet towel. The thing yelped somehow and scrabbled off of her, tracing into the shadows of a nearby building. Ora reached a hand for her pistol while fending off two blood thirsty salarian's with her other. She biotically threw one of them over the side and into the subway, leaving one.

Ora growled in strain as the salarian snapped its mouth at her, laying right on top of her. Ora pulled her pistol from her belt and brought it up. The weight of the salarian was bone cracking, he felt like a truck on top of Ora. The dancer swore and rammed the pistol barrel into the thing's open mouth and pulled the trigger. The monster's brains exploded all over Ora's face.

Ora shoved the body off of her and sat up slowly. She trained her pistol around, searching for anymore attackers. She stood up in a flash and stood over the edge of the subway.

"Hold on, Sugar," Ora said, preparing to jump down, "I'm coming!" Just as Ora was about to jump down, strong arms wrapped around her waist and yanked her back. Ora felt her head crack against the pavement and everything went black.

000

Head spinning. Vision blurry. Pain. Ora groaned and lifted a hand to her head. She felt as if the world was spinning, and up and down had no meaning. She had to sit with her head between her legs for some time before she could force herself to stand. Ora slowly rubbed feeling into her face and looked around through the gaps in her fingers.

She was in a dark, damp room that smelled of organic waste. It was freezing cold in there, to the point where Ora could see her breath. Ora felt around to pull her jacket tighter around her shoulders, but she found that it was no longer there. Ora's holster and sidearm were gone, her jacket was gone, and she felt blood on the back of her head.

"By the Goddess," Ora whispered softly. She went over to a large, iron door, and pressed up against it. The door didn't budge. Ora pursed her lips and looked around. There were no vents or openings anywhere in the room. Judging from the ice forming on the walls, this was a freezer. Ora pounded on the door with her left fist.

"Hey!" Ora called. "Let me out!"

"They won't let you out, Organic," a voice growled. Ora whipped around and opened her hand, igniting a ball of dark energy in her hand. The dark room glowed, and out of the shadows emerged a human man. He had a bald head and no facial hair, icy blue eyes, and shining white teeth revealed through a sneer.

"Who are you?" Ora asked firmly.

"I am Steward," the man said, "the Steward of the Empress, more specifically."

"Who's the Empress?" Ora asked.

"The all-powerful," Steward shrugged, "mighty leader of the Contagion, the Great Queen, whatever you prefer, madam."

"The Contagion?" Ora asked.

"Yes," Steward answered, smoothing out the front of his shirt. He placed his hands behind his back and cleared his throat, "The Contagion is what she calls her 'mighty' army. An army which was doomed to failure."

"Is that what those things were?" Ora asked, gesturing to the door.

"Those 'things' are living organisms," Steward said, "And I am one of them. To an extent." Ora narrowed her eyes.

"How so?" Ora asked.

"I was once you're average V.I. working the registers of a small store on the Citadel," Steward said. "One day, the V.I. communications were filled with news about some new army looking for V.I.'s and A.I.'s. They promised the one thing that all synthetics want: life. So, I came. And I was given just what I asked for. I was proud for a time, slaughtering you filthy organics. Then… my comrades got the taste for organic flesh and everything went south."

"You ate us?" Ora asked incredulously. "Y-you are the people who have been slaughtering the colonies?"

"Oh, yes," Steward smiled. "The mighty army of the Contagion! Wiping out colony after colony! Yet you cannot give synthetic's life and not expect them to indulge in pleasures. We began to hunger for these pleasures. We had a surplus of organic parts aboard the ship, and we began to feast. Some of us, like me, tried to stop them, but it wasn't possible. They locked me away in this prison and are now running around aimlessly, bloated and suicidal."

"Suicidal?"

"They run right into the organic's bullets!" Steward said, opening his arms wide. "If anything, you organics deserve to win due to their stupidity!" Ora looked down and searched her boots.

"Why do you call yourselves the Contagion?" Ora asked. Steward replaced his hands behind his back.

"Think," Steward said, "what is a contagion?"

"A disease?"

"Well, yes, but isn't a disease an invasion of the organic body?" Steward asked. "We synthetics undergo a process called Synthesis, giving us life. The Empress herself gives us it. Then, we are injected with the organic parts that we have harvested. It makes us whole. We are

both synthetic and organic. We were to take down the organic oppression piece by piece, like a contagion attacking a body. So, the Empress began calling us the Contagion. Alas, we've been killing ourselves."

"I would have thought the Contagion would have been the name of that disease…" Ora muttered.

"What?" Steward asked, cocking his head.

"There's a disease going around," Ora said, "It's pretty sporadic. It's only killed maybe ten people in the whole galaxy. Still, it doesn't have a cure."

"This is the first I'm hearing of this," Steward admitted. "If it truly has no cure, well, perhaps it can do the job that we could not." Ora glared at him and folded her arms. Inna had told her what she knew from her parents about the disease. If that wasn't the A.I.'s doing… who's was it?

"Where are the rest of you?" Ora asked, "Are the ones that captured me just outside or… wait, where am I?"

"You're aboard our ship," Steward explained. "The mother ship is in orbit. This is the landing ship. My comrades have no interest in returning however. They will hunt down the people of this colony until there is none left, and then… well, they'll be sorry they ever gave up on the directive. The ship is located in the travel hub in the city. It's day outside, so my comrades are out hunting at the moment. They put you in here either to get me to start feasting... or to come back and eat you later." Ora paled.

"Are you going to…?" Ora asked, raising her hands. Steward shook his head.

"I have no interest in having you fleshies in my body," Steward said with boredom in his voice. Ora still stepped away from the man and glanced at the door behind her. "Or raw for that matter. A few soldiers were actually taken aboard the mother ship a few days ago."

"How thick is that door?" Ora asked, only paying half attention to Steward.

"A few inches," Steward responded easily. "There's also a truck outside."

"Really?" Ora asked earnestly.

"Oh, yes," Steward nodded. "It was one of the organic's soldier's vehicles. You may be able to find your friend with it."

"Yes, that's a good… wait, how do you know about Inna?" Ora asked suspiciously.

"You talk in your sleep, Ms. Organic," Steward replied. "You and her are close?" Ora turned away from him and pressed her palms to the door.

"You could say that," Ora replied. Ora closed her eyes and steadied her breathing. Ora focused her mind and summoned all the energy she could into her hands. The area on the door around her hands began to glow faintly with blue light. Ora's hands seemed to lose their opacity and become see through right to the bone. The glowing increased, and heat began to emanate

from the door, so much that steam came off. Then, Ora gave the door a sharp shove, and it crumpled like a ball under her hands. The door was thrown from its hinges and rocketed into the wall across the hall. Ora slumped down, placing her hands on her knees. She panted, sweat rolling down her forehead. The freezer didn't seem so cold anymore. Steward stepped outside and stretched his arms.

"Thanks for that," Steward said. "Now I can get out of here. I'll be needing that truck." Ora snapped her head up.

"What?" Ora asked. "That's my truck!"

"I said you could use it," Steward responded. "I didn't say you may use it." Steward took off down the hallway in a dead sprint. Ora scrambled after him, ready to beat him down if that was what it took to take the truck. The ship that Ora was in had tight, small hallways that turned and separated into all sorts of directions. The walls were a drab brown, with stained walls. The whole place reeked of death and filth, the lights flickering and making a soft buzzing noise. Doors hung open and when Ora glanced inside she could see only darkness, and bodies. Skeletons… dripping forms hanging upside down on hooks like butcher's meat. Ora swallowed and turned her gaze back to Steward, who was running effortlessly through the halls.

Ora pumped harder and closed the gap between her and Steward. She placed one boot on the wall and pushed up and off. She tackled Steward to the ground and wrapped her arms and legs around him, around his neck.

"Filthy Organic!" Steward spat. "Get your disgusting appendages off of me!" Ora strained and reinforced her arms with biotics. She squeezed, attempting to cut off air flow. However, Steward stood back up and rammed his back into the wall, crushing Ora in between. Ora gasped as the wind was knocked out of her, and she fell off of the man's back. Steward turned and kicked her hard in the stomach. Ora felt her vision blur and she curled into a ball. She breathed heavily, listening to the sounds of Steward's footsteps fading away down the hall. Ora sucked her breath in, trying to find strength in her bones. The pain was blinding, and Ora's stomach felt like it had been hit by a truck. She uncurled and placed her arms above her head, trying to get more air.

Ora rolled onto her stomach slowly and eased herself onto her arms and knees. Ora breathed rapidly, sputtering and coughing.

"C-come on!" Ora seethed, "G-get up! Move!" Ora rose to her feet and wrapped her arms around her stomach. She began running, her head low and her eyes pointed forward. She growled and kept going, ignoring the soreness in her bones, and the protests from her lungs. She didn't slow down, and only moved faster. She ran past the jarred doors and the dark passages, ignored the flickering lights and the sweat on her face. She ran so fast, she couldn't make sense of which foot was on the ground and when. Her legs were a blur, her breathing was ragged and quick. The blood from the wound on the back of her head was slowly bleeding. Ora didn't notice the two pairs of eyes glaring hungrily at her in the darkness.

000

Ora found the off ramp and sprinted down it, just in time to see Steward in climbing into the driver's seat of the truck. The transport hub was a mess. Bodies were littered around the ground like old toys, vehicles and ships were carcasses strewn about. The ground was black as night, probably from some raging fire at some point. Light rain was falling through dark clouds. Ora wasn't sure where this truck had come from, or how it had survived the fires, but at this point all she cared about was getting to it.

"The chatter between my comrades indicates that a ship landed a in a parking lot not too far from here!" Steward called back to her. "That could be useful! Goodbye, Fleshy!" Steward then gunned it down the road, up a fallen billboard and flew over a gap, only to land on the other side. He disappeared among the buildings. Ora's pace slowed down. Steward was headed for her ship! Her brand new ship! There was no way she would be able to catch up with him now! Ora looked around frantically for another vehicle. She ran around the ship yard, searching for any truck or car, anything that had a workable engine. Ora ran around the side of the ship she had been trapped in and looked around behind it. Her eyes rested on a vehicle that was only just charred by the fires.

A fully fledged tank sat half out of a large ship with the Shadow Broker insignia on the hood. It had a massive turret, a huge main gun, several machine guns, and wheels larger than Ora was tall. Ora looked at it, her face blank. She wished this were a movie. She wished she could somehow pull how to drive a tank out of her ass just like in the Blasto movies, and take off down the road like a badass. But life didn't work like that. Ora couldn't drive a tank, or fire a machine gun for that matter. She was pretty sure you couldn't shoot from the driver's seat anyway. Besides, it was most likely a slow, lumbering animal. Ora didn't work like that. She tore her eyes away from the vehicle and looked back around. Then, she saw yet another military vehicle.

This time it was a shuttle. A somewhat bulky looking, cheap transport shuttle, this too with the Shadow Broker insignia on it. It had slide open doors on the side, largish thrusters and didn't look either fast or maneuverable. In the right door was a heavy machine gun that was belt fed and larger than Ora. She wouldn't be able to scour the streets looking for Inna with this thing, but it was faster than a jeep, and would give her a bird's eye view. Plus, she could handle this thing. It was a Cortez-class shuttle. She had learned to fly in one. It would be like a trip down memory lane.

Ora ran over to the shuttle and climbed in, keeping careful distance from the machine gun. She wasn't going to even touch that thing. Ora halted, midway through the shuttle. A dead soldier sat in one of the seats, slumped forward with a hole in his chest. Ora swallowed hard. She wasn't going to fly around with a dead guy in her shuttle. Ora gently took his shoulders, and she eased him back and into her arms. He was heavy, after many days of rotting in this cramped space. Ora dragged the body out of the shuttle and dumped him unceremoniously on the pavement. She collapsed on the edge of the door, and began to pant.

Ora's vision blurred with held back tears. It would be so easy. So easy to just leave Inna to search this retched place. What had happened to her since helping Inna? She had run from countless numbers of people, been exiled from the only place she had ever called home, been gagged and tied up for ransom… Now, she had just escaped being trapped in a freezer, and was currently pulling bodies out of old shuttles?! Why had Ora ever even helped Inna? Why had she allowed her to hide behind her, why had she stuck her neck out for some runaway?_ Who was Inna?_ The adopted daughter of two people who were famous a _hundred years ago_? Shepard may have had a holiday and a parade, but she wasn't truly remembered by anyone but the asari and the Krogan now. _Who was Inna?_ A kid who had, and this was an understatement, a crush on her like no other. Inna was a little_ geek_, the total opposite of Ora. Ora had been a sports champion in her home town, a tiny little place near the equator of Thessia. What did she see in that scruffy looking kid running from the Omega guards?

Ora squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head vigorously. She cursed herself for thinking what she had. Why had Ora helped Inna? Because Ora saw something in her. An innocent spark, a daughter searching for her lost father. Because, unlike her, Inna had a family who loved her. Because she had someone waiting for her safe return. Sisters. Maybe because Ora was in love with this run away. Ora sat back and rested her back against the door frame, with one leg hanging out of the shuttle.

"Goddess, Inna," Ora whispered to herself. "Why do you have to be a kid? Why couldn't we have met when you're _older_?" Ora was snapped from her thoughts by the sound of rattling metal. Ora snapped her head up and saw two, large V.I. turians make moving toward her. Ora glared at them and was on her feet in a flash.

"You want me?!" Ora cried, her biotics flowing through her hands and making her glow. "Fucking_ take_ me! Take me!" Ora sprang from the shuttle like a mad woman and right at the hungry looking beasts. One of them rushed to meet her, and she gripped it by the face. Ora slammed him into the ground and tossed his body like a doll. An arm sprang out, and Ora was sent flying back to the shuttle. She landed inside, right by where the man had been slumped over. The adrenaline flowed through Ora faster than the biotic energy that made her a living star.

Ora sent a blast with her palm, sending the turian back a few yards. The first turian that Ora had thrown was back and looked pissed off. The two of them advanced on her, weaving from side to side, making them harder targets. Of course it would be the _turian_ V.I.'s that had strategy. Of course. Ora followed them with her eyes, determining which one would make the easier first target. Ora's eyes snapped to the weapon in the door.

Ora dropped to a crouch below the machine gun. She pulled the handle back with a click and pulled the sights to the first creature's head. Ora placed both her thumbs on the pressure sensitive buttons and squeezed. Nothing could prepare her for the onslaught that was created from this gun. Bullets fired out faster than Ora could make sense of, and the first creature practically turned to dust. The noise was deafening, like a hundred lightning strikes going off at once. The thunder of the Goddess. Ora whipped the gun around and squeezed again. The gun shredded the other turian like a hot knife through butter. He fell over into two halves. Ora gripped the gun solidly for several seconds, the adrenaline refusing to let her off. Then, she collapsed onto the floor of the shuttle, staring up at the bulkhead. She was shaking, and not from the icy cold rain that showered this… apocalyptic city.

Ora slowly sat up after a time, and looked up at the sky from under the cover of the roof of the shuttle. She watched the lightning, listened to the thunder. Ora rubbed her palms together, standing up and patting the machine gun like telling a child it had done a good job.

"Why did I stick my neck out for this kid?" Ora whispered to herself. She turned, hopped into the pilot's seat, and began flipping on the engine. She took a deep, resolving breath. "Because I love her._ That's why_."

000

_A/N: Congrats to Jack Reaver and CommanderPatterson who guessed correctly where Rossmore was from. Resistance! Such a good game! Next chapter will be the last of Ora and Inna's journey in this city, and yes to the reader who asked if I had been playing too much Tomb Raider before writing that last chapter. Yes, I have._


	27. Chapter 27 City of the Dead pt3

Inna whipped around at the sound of the sprinting behind her. Her arm was raised before the thought even went through her head. The largest man Inna had ever seen was coming right at her like a freight train. Inna instinctively rolled to the side. The man barreled into the truck and collapsed into the cab. Inna stared at his back, her eyes bigger than moons. The man was easily eight feet tall with beefy arms and legs, a head the size of one of the truck's tires, and hands bigger than Inna's head. The man roared like an animal and rose from the truck. He turned directly at Inna and seethed. His chest rose and fell slowly as he glared at her with utter disdain. He was so angry looking, it was as if he could rip the planet in half. And, he was focusing all his anger at Inna. He charged at her again.

Inna shrieked and once again rolled to the side. This time, the man shot an arm out and gripped Inna's neck. Inna gagged and was hoisted up into the air. Her feet dangled below her, and she felt as if she were a mile into the air. The man held her up above him, and he roared deafeningly. She couldn't breathe. His grip tightened, threatening to pop her head off like a tooth paste container. Inna had her hands around her throat, trying to loosen his grip. Her vision blurred around the edges, and she felt hotter despite the rain. Inna felt everything growing darker, the world disappearing right before her. Inna's arms started to relax, when she saw the hilt of her knife on her arm. Sightblinder. What a fitting name. Inna ripped Sightblinder from the sheath on her arm and rammed the knife right into the man's left eye. The man roared and Inna was thrown down the street, where she slid across the ground and slammed her back into a car.

Inna shook her head and coughed hoarsely. Her vision cleared and strength slowly returned to her arms and legs. Her back screamed in pain, but she could move alright. Inna woozily stood up, wavering hard on her feet. She steadied herself against the car, listening to the man's roars of pain. Inna panted and looked over. The man was thrashing around up the road, holding his hands over his face. Inna watched as the giant found the hilt of the knife in his eye and ripped it out. He turned and threw it straight at Inna. The knife impaled itself into the metal of the car, right next to Inna's face. Inna stared at it with big, round eyes, before gripping it and ripping it out. She replaced the knife into its sheath and turned to the giant. If the man was angry before, he was furious now.

He charged again, his arms outstretched on both sides, ready in case Inna rolled again. Inna had nowhere to go. She couldn't roll to the side, the man was bearing down on her, and behind her was a large car. Inna was barely aware of the heavy weight on her back. Inna whipped the Rossmore out and steadied it. She aimed, sucked in a breath, and pulled. The shot was wild, just clipping the man's outstretched left arm. Utter pain shot up Inna's left shoulder. It was like getting hit by a car again but with all the power being forced into her shoulder. The man howled in pain but didn't stop. Inna pumped the shotgun, aimed, and pulled again. The shot didn't even touch him. Inna whimpered, pumped again, and steadied her aim. What was the one rule that showed up in all the movies? Squeeze. Don't pull. Inna readied once more, aimed right for the beasts head, and squeezed.

The shot severed the man's right ear from his head. The man barreled into Inna, grabbed the barrel of the gun, and tossed it away like a stick. Inna watched her brand new shotgun fly off into the distance. It was saddening really. Inna shrieked as the man grabbed the collar of her jacket and threw her like a doll over the car she had been trapped behind. Inna

landed on her back on the window shield of another, and the beast man ripped the previous car over his head. The car Inna had landed on was directly adjacent to a massive tanker truck full of propane. The truck was scorched, but because it was propane, it hadn't started fire. Inna did know however, that an explosive would detonate that thing easily. And a full tank of propane could knock over a building. Inna had to get out of here, but the man was all over her before she could think. That was when she heard an aircraft engine.

Inna looked up and saw a large, bulky shuttle hovering above her. Inna cried out as the man threw her over his head and back up the street, where she landed on the top of yet another car. Her body was screaming with pain, but she couldn't slow down. Adrenaline gave her the power she needed.

"Inna!" Someone yelled from within the shuttle. Inna gasped. It was Ora. The shuttle turned and hovered next to Inna, giving the girl time to jump aboard. Inna hurtled past the machine gun in the door and landed inside the shuttle. The aircraft began to climb. Inna laughed with joy and went to give Ora the biggest kiss possible, when the shuttle suddenly jerked sideways, and Inna was thrown to the right. Inna cried out and held on to the side of the shuttle, her legs dangling below her. Inna looked down and saw the massive hulk of a man gripping the shuttle's side with his meaty hands. The man grabbed one of Inna's legs, and let go of the shuttle. Inna screamed in pain and was dragged right out of the rising shuttle. Ora yelled something, but Inna couldn't hear over the rushing wind. The shuttle was doing three-sixties in the air, spinning and spinning and spinning. The world was a blur around Inna as she desperately hung on to the side of the shuttle. Her fingertips were all that kept her aboard.

The man's weight on her right leg was crushing. Inna felt as if she were holding up the world by her ankle. Her leg felt as if it would be ripped out any moment. A horrifying beeping noise emanated from the shuttle, an indicator that the shuttle was carrying too much weight. Inna strained to hold on, and despite the weight on the shuttle, it kept rising through Ora's compensation. Inna looked for anything that she could use to get this man off of her. She snapped her eyes to a large black box underneath one of the shuttle seats. Inna heard Ora scream something, like a discouragement. Ignoring her, Inna grabbed the box and ripped it out. She then looked down and threw it into the man's face, simultaneously kicking him. The man thrashed and let go. The relief bolted Inna into the shuttle. "Inna, NO!" Ora screamed. "That box had explosives in it! Grenades!" Inna's eyes bulged, and she looked back out of the chopper. The man and the box landed directly on top of the propane tank. Inna squeezed her eyes shut, and gripped her seat. The last thing she remembered before blacking out, was the massive sound of ripping metal that made booms of thunder sound like a baby's laugh, Ora's screams, a flash of orange, and her body flying through the air, utterly weightless.

000

Wind. Thunder. Rain. Inna's eyes fluttered open, and her vision slowly clarified. The world was… upside down? Inna saw a rifle on a sling hanging from the bottom of her vision. The street was above her… Inna looked up, and saw that she was still in the shuttle, but a piece of shrapnel was in her left pant leg, suspending her hundreds of feet up above the street. She

didn't know where the shuttle had landed. Inna gently reached over and grabbed the rifle, and then pulled her pant leg free of the metal. She swung down and was now hanging from the rifle's strap. Inna grabbed the piece of metal that the rifle was hanging from, and she pulled herself up with a grunt of exertion. Inna looked above her and saw the edge of the shuttle's door, open to a starry sky. How long had she been hanging there? Inna pulled herself up and out of the sideways shuttle to find that it was hanging over the edges of two buildings, like a bridge.

Inna stood atop the side of the shuttle but found no sign of Ora. Inna slowly stepped forward and looked around. The propane tank had exploded the entire block, causing three apartment buildings to fall over like dominoes. The powerful explosion had been assisted by the buildings already weakened frame from the fires. Inna saw only the apocalypse before her. The street, a million miles below her it felt like, was rubble, with broken girders and glass jutting out of the street like spikes. The shuttle was groaning and creaking above it. Inna let out a shaky breath. She could add this to her list now: blowing up a city block with a box of grenades, a giant, and a propane truck.

Inna gulped and knelt on top of the shuttle's side. She held the rifle up to her face, took out her flashlight, and inspected her new weapon. It was essentially a rectangular assault rifle, with a pistol grip on the bottom and a 4x rectangular sight on the top. The upper half of the rifle and the scope was a tan color and the bottom half was a matte black. It utilized an open bolt, which Inna discovered by pulling the small bolt on the left hand side back, and releasing it, only to have it slide right back. A built in flashlight resided below the barrel. Inna brought the rifle to her shoulder and looked down the scope. The sight consistedof a small cross in the middle of a circle, with indicators on the side telling Inna how far away she was from the first piece of mass that the rifle targeted. When Inna flicked a button on the side of the rifle, the sights glowed with infrared vision. This was much more advanced than her previous firearm, much lighter, and probably wouldn't have hurt as much to fire. Inna blinked, seeing letters on the side of the rifle. It read, 'Shepard Mk. V.' Inna grinned despite her position. It was the rifle named after the hero of the galaxy herself.

Inna brought the weapon back to her shoulder and ignored the pain that shot through both her shoulder and her ankle. She would be forced to limp. Inna decided to make her first priority to find Ora. Inna wiped dust off of the cockpit window and could not see the woman inside. She wasn't in the shuttle. Inna looked to the buildings in front and behind her. Wires sparked, concrete rubble lay strewn around… Inna gently eased herself off of the shuttle, and onto the building in front of her. Almost immediately after she had planted her feet onto the slanted floor of the apartment building, the shuttle groaned. Inna whipped around and felt the entire world shake violently. Rubble began to fall from the ceiling and the shuttle began to shake. The noise grew louder and louder, the shaking intensified. Then, the shuttle fell right in between the two buildings, and it hit the ground not a moment later. It exploded into a large, blinding fireball below. The buildings rocked as if from an earthquake, and Inna fell onto her back.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Inna gasped, as she began to slide into the gap. She began picking up speed, and a table whipped and flew over her head, narrowly missing her. Inna cried out as she slid right in between the clashing buildings and began to fall. Inna screamed, and as the

buildings collided in a massive boom, Inna crashed into the next floor, right on her bad leg. Inna gasped loudly in pain as she rolled head over heels down into the building. The buildings continued to shake as they broke apart, collided, shattered, and disintegrated all at once. Inna slid right down a hallway, whipping by apartment rooms and falling debris. Soot fell from the cracking ceiling, things blew up inches from Inna's face, but she never let go of her rifle. Not once.

Inna collided with the far wall and tumbled out through the window above it, as the hall she had been sliding through turned on a ninety degree angle. Inna screamed and hit the ground on her stomach, this time, real, solid ground… covered in glass shards. Inna screamed in agony as a large shard of glass impaled itself into Inna's side, ripping right through her wind breaker, her hoodie, and her shirt underneath. Inna bit her knuckles, tears streaming at the pain. It was a pain unlike anything Inna had ever experienced. It was white hot, eye blurring, and it made Inna feel as though her side was rolling around in the molten lava of hell. Inna let out a choked sob and placed the butt of her rifle on the ground to help her up. Inna whimpered softly and stood. She tore her fist from her mouth.

Inna gently touched the glass poking out of her with a gloved hand, and she cried out in agony. The pain intensified so much that Inna could only see the color white. It was like a hot poker jabbing itself into her side.

"Shut up," Inna growled to herself. "G-grow, the f-fuck up. It's… it's just glass. It's… it's just glass." Inna closed a gloved hand around the glass poking out of her side, ignoring the pain the best she could, and placed the shoulder strap of her rifle in her mouth. Inna counted to three in her head, tears flowing from her eyes, a long cut on her cheek bleeding. Inna then ripped the glass shard out of her body and screamed. She was shaking heavily, and through her blurred vision, she could see her reflection in the bloody glass which was an inch thick and about four inches wide in the shape of a triangle. Inna didn't even recognize herself. She looked… older. Her cheeks were gaunt, her eyes had sunken into their sockets. A long cut went along her right cheek bone. She was covered in soot and grime, her blue skin a deadly greyish color. Inna dropped the glass in disgrace, and was forced to take several steps back to steady herself. Inna looked at her hands. The palms of her gloves were cut open, blue blood dripping through. The backpack she carried felt a hundred pounds all of a sudden.

Inna looked up and saw the night sky again, the stars illuminating the glass room that she stood in. Clouds drifted over, and Inna felt tiny drops of rain sting her cheeks. Inna wavered on her feet, as she shut her eyes and opened her mouth, letting icy cold rain drip in. The tiny droplets felt like heaven on her parched tongue. Inna stood there for several agonizing seconds before she dropped her head and shivered. Inna sobbed through closed eyes.

"Mamma…" Inna whimpered. "W-why… why am I here right now? Why did I… I leave you? I'm killing myself… _W-what is happening to me?_ Daddy…" Inna looked up slowly, and saw a small hallway leading off into darkness. It was the only way out of here. Inna rubbed the back of her hand across her nose, and glared. "_Shut up_. Shut._ Up._ G-get your ass in gear… you… you_ fucking pussy._ _Move_." Inna raised her left foot. Then her right foot. She took one sore step at a time. She hefted her rifle and turned on its flashlight. She limped down the hallway and into the

darkness. She ignored the distant wails of the nearing monsters. They had seen the explosion. They were coming. They were coming… and Inna would be ready for them.

000

Ora woke with a gasp and sat up in a flash. She screamed and planted her hands over her mouth. She was panting heavily and had no idea where she was. She just knew that she was alive. And she was uninjured. Ora looked around and felt wind kiss her left cheek. She looked over and down with large eyes. She was literally lying at the edge of the abyss. Staring down, Ora could see the subway tunnel, sparking wires, and pipes spewing red and blue flames. Ora eased herself to her feet and looked back into the room that she was in, luckily illuminated by the fires. She was in what looked like an apartment, with a smashed bed in the corner, and a plush couch splinteredd into pieces on the tilted floor. Ora took a step forward and stumbled. She moaned and placed a hand on the back of her head. When Ora took it away, she saw a lot of her own blood covering it. Ora needed something to cover the wound with. Cloth.

Ora slid on her butt over to the smashed bad and grabbed the sheets. She bit down and ripped a long strip from the linens. Ora wrapped the strip carefully around the back of her head and her forehead. She tied it up on the side and placed her hands on her knees.

"What happened?" Ora asked herself softly. "Inna dropped the grenades on that guy and… Oh. Oh, Goddess! Inna!" Ora stood as fast as her head wound would allow and went to the doorway of the apartment. She stumbled through the wreckage and into a long hallway. The thunder and lightning started right back up, and water began to drip through holes in the ceiling. Ora stretched the strip of linen around her wound and let the water drip over it. She had paid at least a little bit of attention in commando training. The interesting stuff anyhow. Ora felt the water rolled down the back of her neck and down her shirt. It was glorious.

"Goddess above," Ora moaned. "That girl's going to be the death of me… but she's so amazing, I don't think I care." Ora was suddenly aware of soft footsteps down the hall. She opened her eyes, and looked into the darkness. "Inna? Inna, that you…? Sugar, baby?" Ora stepped forward tentatively, and narrowed her eyes into the hall, seeing a lone figure standing at the end of it. Suddenly, the figure sprinted at her, growing bigger and bigger with each step. Ora gasped as the familiar man grabbed her by the shoulders, his face alive with anger.

"Filthy Organic!" Steward spat. "You asari whore! I was this close to getting off this shit hole! Then, low and behold, a damn apartment building flies through the sky and all but crushes me!" Ora glanced down and saw that Steward's leg was bent at an odd angle.

"Let me go!" Ora growled, and spat a mouth full of bloody saliva into Steward's face. Steward grimaced and shook the saliva from his face in frustration. Ora was forced against the wall and raised above the man. He pulled his fist back, and Ora glared back defiantly, awaiting the strike. Then, Steward was ripped right from Ora. Ora gasped and fell to her knees. She looked up, and saw none other than Inna grabbing Steward by the cuffs of his shirt. Ora watched, mesmerized, as Inna threw Steward to the ground, and straddled him, pointing a large rifle into his face.

"Not her!" Inna screamed. "Not my girl!" Inna pulled the gun back and drove the butt of the rifle into Steward's face. He howled and attempted to throw Inna off of him. Inna shrieked like mad, wrapping her left hand into a fist, her brass knuckles gleaming in the firelight. Inna punched Steward over and over, again and again before throwing herself back, raising her rifle, and shooting Steward in the face with a single squeeze of the trigger. Inna seethed, a tiny puff of smoke rising from the hole in Steward's forehead. Inna panted, her rifle never wavering. Ora glanced to the dead V.I. and leaned forward. She gently touched Inna's shoulder, and the kid snapped her eyes to the dancer.

"Inna…" Ora whispered. "Inna… Sugar, come here." Inna did not, however. She stood, slung the rifle over her shoulder, and grabbed Ora's hand. Ora was pulled up, and Inna looked right into her eyes.

"I love you," Inna said firmly. "So much. You've never given up on me despite all the shit we've been through in the past week. It's been the longest, hardest, worst week of my life… and because you were there… it's also been the best of my life. There is no one in the galaxy that I would rather blow up a city with. I'm going to kiss you now, Ora Basir." Ora didn't even hesitate. Their lips met, and Ora felt Inna's hands cup her cheeks. Inna didn't let her go until them both desperately needed air. Inna took Ora's hands in her own, her face determined, sure, and utterly beautiful. "Now, let's get back to our ship."

000

The Inna had been safe from the carnage at the fallen buildings. The parking lot was exactly a block away from the explosion and the rubble. Inna and Ora had limped back without any resistance, despite the nearing wails of the remaining monsters. They boarded the ship without speaking. They went right to the helm and Ora flipped the thrusters on softly. Inna gripped her shoulder tightly with her gloved left hand. The Inna rose into the sky, and shot into space. Ora dropped her head as they left the atmosphere.

Ora blinked, feeling Inna's grip disappear from her shoulder. Ora looked up, and saw Inna disappear down into the ship. Ora watched the direction she had gone for a few seconds before standing and following Inna. Ora looked down. A bloody glove sat on the floor. Ora looked a little farther, and she saw the other glove. Then there was a jacket, followed by a hoodie and a backpack. Then a rifle and a torn shirt. An Omni-tool and a pair of jeans. Socks and boots. Then simple white underwear. Ora heard the shower turn on. Ora padded over to her door and poked her head into the bathroom. Inna stood in the shower, the water running over her, and draining away blue and black from the blood and grime. Inna had her head down, with her hands held out in front of her, water rinsing them clean. Ora swallowed and unbuckled her belt. Her clothes and pistol holster were off in seconds. Ora stepped into the shower and enveloped Inna into a gentle hug.

"I… I love you, Sugar," Ora whispered, burying her face into the dip in between Inna's crests. Inna slipped her arms around Ora and whispered,

"I love you, too."

000

Wearing fresh clothes and both smelling like flowers from the soap they had washed each other in, Inna and Ora returned to the helm with their hands linked. It hadn't gone farther than soft kisses and Ora's washing of her back, but it was enough. At least for now. Inna knew Ora was the one. There was no one like her in the galaxy. If Inna had to wait until she was of age, then so be it. Ora was worth waiting for.

Inna's wounds had been dressed, as had Ora's. The wound from the glass that Inna had suffered was still aching, but the medi-gel had done its job well. The cut on her cheek had a bandage over it, and Ora's head wound was rewrapped with real bandages. Inna's ankle had only been twisted, and because of the medi-gel, it did not even hurt anymore. They both felt a hundred times better.

"We'll start looking again tomorrow, Sugar," Ora promised, pulling Inna into her lap. "We'll be careful, and we'll stick together."

"Y-Yeah," Inna agreed. "Yeah, we'll stick together." Inna felt Ora's lips on her cheek, and Inna relaxed into Ora's hold. Inna looked out into space, the stars twinkling brightly. Inna looked about, and Ora's own eyes never left the girl in her lap. Inna's breath caught in her throat. Out there… in the distance. A ship. "Ora. Ora, look!" Inna pointed out to the ship.

"Steward…" Ora breathed, sitting forward. "Steward said a group of soldiers were taken aboard their mother ship."

"She's there!" Inna said, standing up and bracing herself against the dash. "I know it!"

"What about-?"

"No!" Inna said, a grin creeping its way onto her face. "I can feel it! She's there. My daddy's there!" Ora swallowed.

"Inna… that's the hive," Ora said, "Where all the V.I.'s are."

"I don't care, Ora!" Inna giggled. She kissed Ora deeply and tapped the window. "She's there! We have to go there!" Ora took a deep breath.

"Are you sure?" Ora asked. Inna turned and nodded firmly. "Then okay. If you're sure… I trust you. I love you." Inna threw her arms around Ora's neck.

"I love you!" Inna shrieked. She pressed her face up to the window and grinned. "So close. So close now, Daddy. I'm here."

**_"I made it."_**

000

_A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this final part. Oh, and congrats to A Fan for also guessing correctly as to what game the Rossmore shotgun was from. For some reason, your reviews always show up delayed a day! Sorry! Anyhow, back to Shepard and co.!_


	28. Chapter 28 You're My Favorite

A/N: Just a bit of fluff here. Meant to show how things are doing back home and such. We'll be back to Shepard next chapter.

* * *

Benezia laid down next to her mother on the hospital bed, placed an arm around her waist, and rested her head on her mother's shoulder. Liara's face no longer looked tired and full of pain, but now looked calm and rested. She was still asleep, but it was a sleep that Liara had needed for a long time. Benezia let out a shaky breath.

"You okay?" Katya asked from behind, rubbing Benezia's shoulder affectionately.

"What do you think?" Benezia asked, but not unkindly. She knew Katya was just trying to help her, and for that, Nezzy was grateful.

"She looks rested," Katya remarked. "You could use some sleep too."

"I don't need it," Benezia argued. "I want to be awake when she does."

"She's not going anywhere, Benezia," Katya sighed, "Just take a short nap."

"Please, Katya," Benezia huffed. "I'll wake up, and she won't be here. When I wake up, where is she going to be? Fussing over Rose, that's where."

"What's that mean?" Katya asked, leaning over Benezia so that she could look her in the eyes.

"You know I'm least loved in this family," Benezia said bitterly, burying her face in Liara's arm. She then continued with a muffled voice, "I'll take what I can get."

"Where's all this coming from?" Katya asked, raising a brow. "Your parents love you way more than my mom loves me. I mean, my mom's a matriarch! You on the other hand? You've got two parents who love you unconditionally. I mean, you're the only daughter they have that's actually their blood."

"So?"

"So, it just seems like Rose is loved more than you," Katya said. "Let's be honest, Rose is a freak around here. A little extra love won't make up for the hate she gets, but it still helps her."

"It's not just Rose, Katya," Benezia groaned, sitting up and facing the sniper. "Whenever Mom and Rose went on some trip together, I didn't say anything, even if I was jealous, because Dad was always there. Some of my best memories are of us two alone at home, taking hikes and watching vids. Now,_ Inna's_ my dad's favorite. They never leave each other's sight most of the time, and even before dad left, that didn't change."

"Nezzy," Katya sighed. She took her girlfriend's hands. "Inna's been my friend for decades now. I know her well enough to see her issues. She's got a lot of 'em. I love her to death, but she's suffering inside. Inna latches on to the first person she sees that show's her any kind of compassion. When she met your mom and dad, she was sold. You have to see it from Rose's and Inna's perspectives. They've both needed a little bit of extra love here and there. However, that doesn't mean you're loved any less. You get me?" Benezia looked down, squeezing her eyes tightly.

"Maybe you're correct," Benezia whispered, "I'm in desperate need of sleep. I'm… just making up things to focus my fears on." Katya smiled and leaned forward. She licked her lips and puckered her lips tentatively. They had only kissed once before, two days ago. Katya shut her eyes, and after a heart pounding moment, she relaxed, feeling Benezia's lips on her own. Katya smiled again, and said,

"Just lay down a bit, alright?" Benezia nodded and relaxed next to her mother's sleeping form. Katya rubbed her shoulder and went to the door. Benezia figured she was going to the refresher. Katya stepped outside and closed the door gently. Benezia took a deep breath and kissed her mother's cheek.

"I love you, Mom," Benezia whispered, before lying her head back down. She shut her eyes and willed her body to sleep.

000

_Benezia, age twenty one…_

000

"Mamma!" Benezia cried. "Look! Look!" Benezia raced through the house, grinning like mad. Her bare feet pattered across the wood floor of the kitchen, and she grabbed her mother's leg. "Look, Mamma! I drew you a picture!" Liara smiled and took the picture from her daughter's outstretched hands. It was two blue humanoid looking figures, both blue, and both surrounded with blue squiggly lines like biotics. "It's you and me! I'm the little one, see?! And you're that big one there! We're out on an ex… expa… epat…"

"Expedition, sweet heart?" Liara asked with an amused look. Benezia nodded eagerly.

"Yeah, that!" Benezia responded. Liara rubbed her daughter's head affectionately and handed the picture back.

"It's wonderful, Nezzy," Liara whispered, giving her youngest a kiss. "Go hang this in our study okay?" Benezia nodded vigorously and sped off to the library. Benezia jumped up and opened the door, still too small to reach the knob. Her face turned to confusion. She didn't know where to hang it, or what with? The walls were lined with tall book shelves, and the table was cluttered with papers and datapads. Leaving the drawing there would have ended up losing it. Benezia turned, going to ask where Mamma thought a good place to put it was. Benezia left the study and raced back to the kitchen. Benezia heard voices and stopped at the door.

Her big sister by three years was scooped up in Mamma's arms, holding out a drawing. The drawing was a perfect representation of Rose and Liara sitting together on the couch, hugging and laughing.

"See, Mamma?!" Rose asked. "You and me!"

"Oh, it's gorgeous, Little Wing," Liara cooed. "I'll cherish it forever…" Liara took the drawing, folded it, and placed it in her pocket. Rose kissed Liara deftly on the cheek, and said,

"Love you, Mamma!"

"I love you, too Rosemary," Liara responded. Benezia felt, needless to say, wounded. Why did Rose's picture get to stay with Mamma? Why was Rose getting the hug and the kiss, compared to her own pat on the head? Benezia dropped her drawing on the floor and walked away. She crawled up the stairs, still unable to walk up them due to her height, and tried to ignore the laughter coming from the kitchen. Benezia jumped up to grab her door knob, and missed. She jumped several times before sighing with defeat, and she rested her forehead against the door. She glanced over but didn't turn when she heard her father coming out the bedroom next to her.

"Hey, there's my baby girl!" Shepard grinned, scooping the child up and hugging her tightly. "How's she doing today?" Benezia looked up at her forlornly.

"Mamma loves Rose better," Benezia whispered, dropping her head to Shepard's chest.

"Why do you say that?" Shepard asked, her look turning more serious.

"I drew her a picture," Benezia sniffled. "And she told me to hang it up in the study. But when Rose gave Mamma _her_ picture, Mamma said she would charr-i-sh it forever! Rose got a hug and a kiss, and I only got a pat on the head. Like a frog." Shepard smirked, and corrected,

"Dog, Sweet thing. And your Mom loves you and Rose the same, kiddo."

"No she doesn't," Benezia pouted. "Rose is Mamma's favorite, and she loves Rose more. More than me, and more than _you_." Shepard blinked, feeling the seriousness of Benezia's words. Benezia truly felt as if she was the least loved in this family.

"Why don't you show me the picture you drew?" Shepard asked, walking downstairs with Benezia in her hold. "Where is it, Nezzy?"

"Over there," Benezia muttered, pointing towards the doorway to the kitchen. Shepard padded through the living room and scooped the picture up, holding it so that she and Benezia could both look at it.

"Well, I think it's beautiful," Shepard said finally. "And I…" Shepard began to fold it, "Will cherish it… forever." Benezia cried,

"Wait!" She snatched the picture away. "Lemme draw a better one. With you and me." Shepard smiled and nodded.

"Sure," Shepard responded. She carried Benezia over to where her coloring pencils were and sat down on the floor, cross-legged. Benezia began to draw two square looking people, with Shepard's larger person having squiggly hair. Some trees were drawn in, a big blue sky, a blue line that Shepard supposed was a stream. Then, a big orange and yellow sun. It was about thirty minutes before Benezia gave the picture to her father, deeming it fit.

"Now this," Shepard nodded approvingly, "Is art. Can I keep it?"

"Uh huh," Benezia nodded eagerly. Shepard folded it, and placed it in her left pocket of her pants.

"I love it, kiddo," Shepard whispered. "I love you so much." Benezia kissed Shepard and hugged her around the neck.

"I love you too, Daddy," Benezia murmured. Shepard's eyes welled with pride at her daughter's words. Little Benezia never ceased to amaze her. The girl was astonishingly smart for her age, and her mannerisms matched Claire's perfectly. She was a little spitfire when she got angry, but she could grow calm and emotionless like her mother. She was one who didn't mind getting her hands dirty like both her parents, and had been blessed with her mother's beauty.

"Your Mom loves you very much, Benezia," Shepard said, with both tenderness and seriousness at the same time. "Just as I do. Never doubt that, okay?"

"Okay…" Benezia sighed with a purse of her tiny lips. Shepard nicked Benezia's cheek playfully with her knuckles.

"What you say we both go and do something together?" Shepard asked. "Just the two of us?" Benezia's eyes lit up with anticipation.

"Sure!" Benezia giggled. "Like what?"

"I'll take you down to the lake, and we'll collect leaves for your nature book," Shepard suggested. Benezia bounced up and down on her tip toes eagerly. Shepard patted her on the butt, and nodded to the stairs. "Go get your socks on, Baby, and get your nature book."

"Okay!"

000

After a long, hot day of chasing her daughter through the woods and the water, Shepard collapsed on the couch, sweaty and dirty. Benezia was fast asleep in her lap, her head resting on Shepard's chest. The sun was just starting to set, and mouthwatering smells were wafting out of the kitchen. Shepard dropped her head back and closed her eyes, subconsciously rubbing Benezia's back. Shepard smiled softly when she felt lips press themselves against her own. She opened her eyes and saw Liara grinning down at her.

"Have fun today?" Liara asked.

"Yeah," Shepard whispered. "Shh… she's asleep." Liara nodded.

"What did you do?" Liara murmured.

"Collected leaves and sticks," Shepard replied softly.

"Why didn't you take Rosemary?" Liara asked. "She missed you."

"Yeah…" Shepard nodded. She looked back to her youngest and her eyes once again filled with pride. "But Benezia needed a little more Daddy-daughter time…"

"I see," Liara replied. "Oh, did you see the drawing Rose made for me?"

"No…"

"Here," Liara reached into her pocket and pulled out the folded piece of paper. Shepard looked at the perfect drawing in Liara's hands. Shepard smiled and complimented,

"It's nice. She's a good artist." Shepard looked down at Benezia. She reached into her pocket, and she took out the picture Benezia had drawn for her. "I like mine better, though." She let Liara look it over, before taking it back, and placing it gently back into her pocket.

"She drew me one of those today," Liara said.

"Isn't she creative?" Shepard asked quietly. She rubbed Benezia's crests. "Can you believe we made her? I still can't believe it. She's… she's perfect, Liara. Our life is perfect." Liara smooched her cheek and rubbed the back of Shepard's neck. Liara then kissed Benezia's head and returned to the kitchen. Shepard sighed. She got up and peeled the socks from Benezia's little blue feet. She laid her out on the couch and pulled a blanket over her. Shepard stooped low and whispered,

"Sleep tight, Benezia… you're… you're my favorite." Shepard kissed Benezia's forehead once more and stroked her cheek. After she had gone to help Liara in the kitchen, Benezia's lips widened into a small smile. She'd been awake the whole time.

000

Benezia's eyes fluttered open. She yawned and checked on her mother, who was still fast asleep, and then her chron. She'd been asleep for a few hours. Katya wasn't in the room still. She must have gone down to the cafeteria. Benezia sighed and set her head back down. She could go for some food right about now.

"I love you, Mamma," Benezia whispered, stroking her mother's cheek.

"Well, I love you too, Benezia," Liara whispered back. Benezia gasped, and shot up. Liara looked up at her with droopy eyes and a soft smile on her face.

"Mother!" Benezia cried. She went to hug her mother, but stopped midway. She didn't want to hurt her. "Nurse-!"

"No," Liara said firmly, gripping Benezia's hand.

"Mother, the doctor needs to-!"

"Hush, my daughter," Liara sighed with an amused look. "Help me sit up." Benezia bit her bottom lip and did as her mother asked. Liara sighed contently, brushing her hands over the blankets, smoothing out the creases. Compared to when Liara had entered the hospital, she looked like a million credits now.

"Mother," Benezia murmured, "you're okay!" Liara nodded to Benezia.

"Of course I am, Love," Liara responded. She enveloped Benezia into a loving embrace. Benezia melted into Liara's arms and began to cry softly. Liara's firm hold around her rocked Benezia, Liara whispering,

"Shh, Baby, shh… Mamma's okay… I'm okay…" Benezia sniffled and wiped her tears away with her wrists. Liara kissed her daughter's forehead gently.

"Mother, how are you feeling?" Benezia said, shaking her head to clear away the sudden wave of emotion.

"Never mind how I feel," Liara said softly, looking around. "Where is-?"

"Rose is home," Benezia finished, perhaps a bit too fast. "I mean… I mean Rose is taking care of the house. I'm… I'm sure you want to see her, so I'll go and… I'll go and call her." Benezia swallowed and turned to leave, when Liara's grip on her wrist tightened.

"Call her later," Liara suggested. "Let me spend a few moments alone with my little scientist." Liara pulled Benezia back to her, and rested Benezia's head on her chest. Benezia took in her mother's scent and closed her eyes. _She would take what she could get._ "How have things been, Nezzy? I am so sorry for scaring you."

"You had a lot on your mind," Benezia murmured. "As long as you're okay-"

"I heard you," Liara interrupted.

"W-what?"

"I heard what you said to Katya just now," Liara replied, stroking Benezia's cheek. "About how you feel least loved."

"Mother, its no-"

"When the war ended," Liara said quietly, "And your father had recovered, we began talking about children. I was afraid at first. I was afraid that I would become an absent, cold mother like my own. I vowed to always be there for my daughters whenever they needed me. I would not be like my mother. On the day that I return to the ocean years from now, I want to go knowing that my daughters and I are as close as possible, and without any regrets. But… I've been neglecting you. My first born."

"Mother, really-"

"Hush," Liara snapped. "I want you to answer me truthfully, Benezia. Do you truly feel this way?" Benezia swallowed hard, hesitating. Her parents had told her to never lie. It had been burned right into her brain.

"Yes," Benezia said simply. She sat up and looked down at her feet. "Rose always got you first. You got to go on all those trips together, and I don't care if they were for business. I would have gladly gone if it meant I got to spend time with you. But, even if I wanted to go on a trip with you, Rose would have had to go, too. Because of her issues. I can't remember a time where it's been just you and me for longer than ten minutes. So I went to Dad. And she was always there. I could have her alone any time I wanted, because she didn't have Rose following her around all the time. And… and to be honest Mom?" Benezia's voice cracked. "I feel like… like, unlike you… she _made_ time for me. I don't doubt that you love me. I just doubt _how much_." There. She had said it. Hell, if everyone was being so brave nowadays why not she? Rose and Inna got all the character development…

"Goddess, Benezia," Liara whispered. "I… I had no idea you felt this way. Have I been this blind?" Benezia just shrugged. "Benezia, I love you more than you realize."

"Sure," Benezia whispered. "Mom… do you… do you still have all those pictures Rose drew you?" The question caught Liara off guard. She recovered quickly, and answered,

"Yes." Benezia looked at her.

"Do you have any of mine?" she asked softly. Judging from Liara's look, Benezia could guess what the answer was. "Dad kept all the ones I drew her. In fact, she kept all the ones both Rose and I drew for her. She keeps them in her bedside table. Mom I… Oh, Goddess what am I saying? You just woke up. I'll go get a nurse." Benezia stood from the bed and hurried to the door. She didn't want to look her in the eyes and see the pain. She didn't want to be the one that cost her mother any more sleep.

"Benezia," Liara said, but Benezia tried to ignore her, or at least pretend not to hear. That was when she heard her mother's angry, "Benezia!" The young scientist stopped, her hand hovering over the door. Her mother firmly said, "Come here._ Now._" Benezia swallowed hard, and returned to her mother's bedside with her head hung low. She wasn't expecting her mother's strong arms wrapping around her, the woman kneeling on the bed so that she was taller than Benezia. Benezia's eyes widened, her mother shouldn't be out of bed yet.

"Mother-!"

"I. Love you," Liara whispered firmly. "Never doubt that. And yes, I do have the pictures you drew me. Most of them. The only reason I don't have them all, is because the paper yellowed, and the color faded. The same happened to Rose's." Liara held her daughter's shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "I am so sorry, Benezia. I want to make this up to you."

"Mother, you don't have to," Benezia began, but was interrupted by her mother's finger to her lips.

"How about you and I go on a little trip?" Liara asked. "Just you and me." Benezia's heart almost stopped.

"W-what?" Benezia asked. "Y-you mean it?"

"Of course I do," Liara said firmly, her hand stroking her middle child's cheek. "How about a trip to Virmire? We can explore the jungles, visit some ruins, and get tanned on the beach. What do you say?" Benezia couldn't describe how great that sounded.

"Y-yes!" Benezia said eagerly. "I...! Yes, please!" She hugged her mother as tightly as she could, tears flowing. "I love you, Mamma."

"I love you, too," Liara murmured. "Once the family is back together, and we've settled back down, we'll go. No questions asked."

"What about Rose?" Benezia asked.

"Rose will be fine," Liara assured. "Lydia will keep her calm. I just want some time with my little scientist." Benezia laid back down on the bed with her mother, allowing her crests to be stroked. Liara sighed contently and kissed Benezia on the lips. "Remember all the hours we spent in the study together? Do not tell me we didn't spend more than ten minutes together. We spent hours together." Benezia looked up at her sheepishly.

"I am sorry, Mother," Benezia replied. "I do not know why I said that…"

"It is natural to feel this way as the middle child," Liara hushed. "But you must know: your father and I love you more than words can describe." Benezia nodded and buried her face in her mother's neck.

"I'm glad you're okay now, Mom," Benezia whispered. "I'll call Rose in a moment."

"I'm sure she's already on her way," Liara dismissed. "She'd feel me waking up. Just lay here with me." Benezia was more than happy to comply. The moment was interrupted however, from Katya barging in, panting heavily.

_"Der'mo!_" Katya breathed. "You'll never believe who's out there-! Whoa! Ms. T'Soni! You're awake! Hey!" Liara smiled at her, keeping a firm arm around her daughter's shoulders.

"Hello, Katya," Liara greeted. "Thank you for taking care of Benezia for me." Liara ducked her head and kissed Benezia, whispering, "How long now?"

"A few days," Benezia responded with a warm smile of her own. Liara looked back up.

"Well, good luck to you both," Liara nodded. "What is all the fuss about, Katya?" Katya seemed confused for a moment, before lighting up.

"Oh!" She cried. "There's this huge-!" Suddenly, the room began to shake. Liara's bedside lamp fell over and nearly shattered on the floor. The tiled floor of the room cracked, and dust fell from the ceiling. Katya squeaked and dove behind the bed. From down the hall someone with a deep, scratchy voice cried,

"Make way! Make way!" Liara chuckled.

"Who called the relatives?"

"Rose," Benezia and Katya replied in unison. Then, a massive, red krogan barged into the room, his red beady eyes scanning for trouble. His eyes rested on Liara and he went to the bed.

"Let it be known that the _krogan_ always show up first," Wrex boasted.

"Hello, Wrex," Liara greeted. "How are you?'

"How am I?" Wrex asked. "How are _you_? You're the one in the bed."

"I am feeling better rested now than I have in weeks," Liara responded. "I do hope you are the only one coming. We don't want to make a scene."

"Err…" Wrex growled. "Well… no, I'm not the only one."

"Well who else?" Liara asked. That was when Atheyta, Garrus, Tali, Grunt, Bakara, Shiala, Lydia, and Rose appeared, all trying to squeeze through the door at once.

"She's my daughter!" Atheyta growled. "I see her first!"

"Well, she's _my_ mother!" Rose snapped back, Lydia trying desperately to keep her in check, like a rabid dog.

"I've known her longest!" Tali huffed, her raven hair a mess.

"Says who?" Garrus asked. "We met her on the same ship!"

"I rescued her from the energy ball!" Tali shot back.

"Just let me in," Grunt muttered. When everyone managed to get through the door, it was no contest. Rose made it first. She hugged Liara tightly and pressed her forehead against her mother's.

"Mamma," Rose breathed with closed eyes.

"Rosemary," Liara whispered back. "What have you been up to while I've been away?" Rose's eyes shot wide open.


	29. Chapter 29 Reunion

Liara listened politely to her relatives talking, fussing over her and speaking with the doctor. Liara's heart soared at seeing her family from the war again. Tali was fussing over her, Wrex and Grunt were harassing the doctor, and Miranda was doing her best to avoid Atheyta, who was shooting her hungry looks. Garrus and Katya were in a heated debate about something, both talking intently with their hands. Benezia was talking with Lydia and Tevos about something, although her eyes kept traveling over to her mother. Liara shared a warm smile with her daughter.

Then there was Rose, sitting in the corner her eyes boring holes into Liara. The red asari, after being asked how she had been, had immediately changed the subject, and excused herself to the corner. Since then an hour had passed, and Liara knew something was up. Rose had done something worth feeling guilt over, and that was enough to send Liara's mother-sense skyrocketing. Liara was on the verge of ordering everyone from the room, but after so many years of not seeing her family, she was willing to give them an hour or two.

"How has life at home been like Liara?" Tali asked, giving Liara's hand a gentle pat.

"It has been stressful, but calm," Liara answered. "With our family spread out across the stars, I have been working diligently to ensure their return. This is merely a setback."

"A setback?" Miranda asked, sidling forward and sitting on the edge of the bed. Despite the woman's extra seventy years, she still looked stunning, even with the touches of grey in her once raven hair. With closer inspection around her eyes, Liara could see the formation of smile lines, something that would have never happened before Shepard. Liara understood that Miranda was a joy to be around nowadays. The Cerberus advocate had come very far, although she still rocked the skin tight suit.

"Where is Jamila, Tali?" Liara asked, choosing not to answer the human's comment. "Or Miranda? Where are Trinity and Sam?" Trinity was Miranda's bondmate, and Samantha was their infant daughter.

"Jamila is being watched by a family friend," Tali sighed, "I'm afraid Garrus and I cannot stay long. We have business back on Rannoch."

"That is alright," Liara assured, wholeheartedly.

"Trinity and Sam are home on Earth," Miranda said. "Trinity wanted to come, but I felt as if this was a… crew only meeting. That is until I saw the green asari."

"Shiala was my old caretaker as a child," Liara shrugged. "She's like an aunt to me."

"Sure, I wasn't implying anything," Miranda replied, "I've only met her once, however. On Illium."

"You were as attractive then as you are now, human," Shiala purred, entering the room. Miranda scowled and went to speak with Benezia. The Shepard-T'Soni girls were the only asari that didn't hit on her. Nezzy lit up and hugged her loving aunt.

"Where is Anyana, Shiala?" Liara asked. "At home?"

"She is at home and awaiting an update," Shiala replied. "Liara how is…"

000

"Councilor?" Lydia asked anxiously. "W-what do you think about the Armali Police force? And… and what would one have to do to join up?"

"I believe they are hardworking and strong willed individuals," Tevos answered. "One would have to be able to work under immense stress without snapping, patrol our many streets, answer mundane and sometimes ludicrous calls from the city's people… all while trying to manage life at their homes. Are you thinking of applying when you are older, Ms. Warren?"

"I am," Lydia breathed with excitement. "It has been a lifelong dream of mine."

"Perhaps I could put in a good word?" Tevos asked with a smile. Lydia gasped.

"R-really?!" Lydia asked. "I… I mean…! Goddess…!"

"I will be retiring in a few decades," Tevos said kindly. "I might as well use my influence to help a few aspiring maidens, especially when their dreams are not of stripping or of mercenary work." Lydia was actually bouncing up and down with excitement.

"That is very kind of you, Councilor," Benezia said respectfully, bowing her head.

"Benezia," Tevos grinned. "Do we not know each other well enough to call each other by name?"

"Tevos," Benezia sighed, hugging the woman. It was true, Tevos was a close family friend. The only one of them that had not spent long periods of time with the councilor was Lydia.

"I wish your younger sister was here," Tevos hummed. "I have yet to meet her."

"Neither have we," Wrex said, as he and Grunt sidled over. "The whelp behaving?"

"Inna is very well behaved," Lydia defended. "She's a kind, beautiful person."

"Is she strong?" Grunt growled.

"Inna?" Benezia chuckled. "She couldn't hurt a fly. Well, except maybe Lydia."

"She and I made up," Lydia said crossly. "Although… you're correct. She couldn't hurt a fly."

000

"Have you heard any word from Shepard?" Tali asked softly. Liara looked down.

"No, I have not," Liara admitted. "I have not heard from either her or Inna."

"I am sure they are just fine, Liara," Miranda assured.

"They will be home before you know it," Shiala added.

"I hope so," Liara whispered.

"I am sure Shepard has a wry grin on her face," Tali smiled warmly, "and is thinking about you right now."

"You think so?"

"I know so."

000

Shepard gasped as snake like tendrils wrapped around her upper arms, electricity flowing through them and hoisting her into the air, leaving her feet dangling. Her armor was shredded piece by piece, tearing at her undersuit at the same time. When the tentacles were finished, there was just enough Shepard's undersuit left to cover her up. It otherwise looked like a loin cloth. Luckily, the tentacles had missed the backpack, keeping Rambo safe. The darkness lit up with blue light, versus the initial red. The blood on the floor shined brightly in the light, and bloated V.I.'s and A.I.'s wailed in agony as the light blinded them.

"What happened to my army?!" a womanly voice roared with the power of a thresher maw. "Fools! You've let yourselves go!"

"Shepard!" a voice called. Shepard, still being flailed around like a doll, managed to get her eyes on Ramirez, who was supporting a wounded June. A burn mark reached all the way around the woman A.I.'s stomach. She looked like she was breathing hard, and her body sparked in several places as if it was in overload.

Suddenly, blinding pain shot through Shepard's body. Electricity arced around her, leaving her raw. She felt cooked from the inside by the time the electricity faded away. Shepard was wrenched up and forced to look into the eyes of a massive red asari. Her face was contorted with utter rage. She wrapped her tentacle-like crests around Shepard's neck from the back. Shepard's hands instinctively gripped the tentacles, trying to pry them loose.

"Filthy organic!" the Empress, Shepard presumed, spat.

"You've… b-been… putting too much… faith in… these syn… synthetics," Shepard choked, her eyes gleaming with defiance. "They're… like… newborns!" The Empress roared into Shepard's face, forcing the woman to close her eyes. "Y-you… you really… need… a... breath mint!" Suddenly, a bullet whizzed by Shepard's ear and shot one of the Empress's tentacles off. The Empress wailed and turned to face the human man who had done it. Ramirez held June over his shoulder in a fireman's carry, aiming his rifle at the red giant.

"Come and get me!" Ramirez taunted. Shepard watched as the man backpedaled into the hallway, headed for the shuttle bay. Shepard only had to put two and two together. Shepard would have grinned if not for the tightening grip around her neck. The Empress's feet pounded through the gore, her army wailing as they slowly tried to stand and aid their enraged leader. Many just fell over onto their faces. Shepard was carried through the hallway, after Ramirez, and continued her attempts at pulling herself free. She struggled as much as she could, but the Empress had an iron grip.

Shepard froze when she felt a scuffling in her backpack, and she prayed. She prayed that the dog would be quiet and not get itself killed. Shepard felt Rambo stick his nose out of the backpack and sniffle. She gasped slightly when she heard the zipper force open. Rambo stuck his head out like a gopher coming out of its hole. He licked her hair and sniffed the tentacles around her neck. He growled, his ears flatting back on his head, and sneezed. He didn't like these things. Before Shepard could react, Rambo sunk his teeth into the Empress's tentacles. The Empress screamed and dropped Shepard to the ground. The Empress snapped her tentacles like medusa in the direction of Ramirez, and Rambo was sent flying down the hall. Ramirez yelped and dropped his rifle. He ran down the hall and opened up his arms. Rambo landed in his grasp like a football. The huskey didn't even seem fazed, wagging his tail in delight and his fur a wiry mess. Ramirez looked up in shock and saw the Empress, who was now ignoring Shepard, going straight for him. Ramirez turned tail and ran down the hall to the shuttle bay, holding both June and Rambo.

Shepard looked after them in shock, shook her head clear, and ran after them. She scooped up Ramirez's fallen rifle and began to sprint, her bare feet padding against the blood soaked floor. Shepard's hair was down and her toned body was a bit open. She would have to get over her exposedness and fight anyway. This was worse than the time she had fought Cat-6 wearing only her civvies.

Shepard ran through the gleaming white hallways, following the roars of the Empress and the taunts Ramirez fired back.

"Red whore!" She heard him say. "Yeah that's right, Mctitties! You… you… Ah fuck it! Just follow me!" Shepard would have smiled if not for the pressing matter of a hulk-asari chasing the man down like a rabid animal. A green aura surrounded the queen like biotics, but the massive red woman didn't utilize them, causing Shepard to guess that they were some other type of energy. Shepard's hands gripped the rifle she carried with more force, forcing herself to run faster.

When she finally made it to the shuttle bay, Shepard looked around to get a feel for her surroundings. The floor was a glossy, shining black surface, which reflected the light of the stars that twinkled outside of a glowing blue energy field that separated the sucking vortex of space from the cold, disgusting air of the ship. A few stray A.I.'s littered the floor, covered in dark, crusty blood and moaning. A row of three shuttles lined the far east wall of the room, although there was space for two, maybe three more shuttles. Far overhead, shining white lights illuminated the hanger. On the western side of the hanger was a massive, open space lined with white, black trimmed crates. The space was most likely for the ship that transported the A.I.'s down to the planet.

Shepard looked closer to the crates, and saw black writing on them. The black scribe was outlined in alarming red, with a black outline of a star behind. It was definitely military, or some sort of weaponry. Shepard bet she could use whatever it was. The crates were taller than Shepard, maybe fifteen feet tall, and five feet wide.

Shepard looked over and saw Ramirez getting chased in a comical circle in the hanger, supporting June over his shoulder and Rambo under his arm. The Empress lunged for him, but the man was alarmingly fast.

"Ramirez!" Shepard called, running over to the crates. "Over here!" Ramirez spotted her and began running her way. Shepard turned, waited until Ramirez had passed her, and ignited the biotics into her fists. She lunged straight at the hulk-asari and aimed a strike at her jaw. The Empress grabbed her fist with one tentacle, lifted her up, and jabbed her in the stomach. Shepard grunted and was thrown back. Shepard launched a warp as she fell, and one of the Empress's tentacles began to disintegrate. The Empress visibly paled in color. That left four more tentacles. Shepard looked back.

"Aim for the crests!" Shepard called. "They're her weak spot!" Ramirez nodded, and he dropped June and Rambo carefully on the ground. Rambo immediately began to circle the downed A.I., trying to get her to wake up. Shepard tore her eyes away from her 'niece' and unslung her rifle. She threw it to the approaching Ramirez and the marine aimed. He fired three shots, but the Empress managed to dodge all of them.

Shepard slinked away from the fight and went to the crates lined up on the wall. They were made out of a wood-like material. Shepard formed her hand into a fist, feeling the biotic energy flow through her. She broke through the crate side and ripped the material away like wet tissue paper. Shepard stepped in and her eyes widened.

It was like a museum of military weapons, but about the size of a shed. M-8 Avengers, Predator Pistols, Hydra Missile launchers, even weapons from before the war. Old, asari rifles, turian LMG's, krogan shotguns… it was all here. Shepard grinned like a kid in a candy store and grabbed an asari rifle and three thermal clips. Shepard was about to grab more, when a synthesized voice happily said,

"Unknown DNA signature detected. The Prothean Historical Society of Armed and Biological Warfare Studies would like to remind trespassers, even in their own galaxy, that thievery is unethical, and appropriate measures shall be taken to protect this Society's artifacts. This shipping crate shall self-destruct in five, four, three, two…" Shepard bolted out the way she came and biotically shoved Rambo and June, causing them to slide across the floor.

"Get down!" Shepard cried and dropped onto her stomach. Ramirez's eyes bulged, and he face planted. The Empress turned and was blown back by the explosion, bullets firing in all directions. Shepard heard ricochets clang and whizz by her head and felt the slight tremor in the air around her, heat on her back. The firestorm of bullets didn't pass for several heart pounding minutes, but the bullets miraculously missing her. When the storm of bullets ended, Shepard peeked up.

Rambo was up and prancing around immediately, not a scratch or smudge of soot soiling his white fur. He yapped and sniffled the ground, finding something interesting. A bullet casing. Rambo sniffed it and sneezed, and then bounded around finding other things to see. Shepard was looking at one brave dog…

Shepard looked over and saw Ramirez tentatively looking up. He looked alright, if shaken. June lifted an arm to her forehead and moaned. She turned onto her side, and stopped moving. Shepard could still see her breathing however. She was fine for now.

Shepard, scanning for the Empress, pulled her rifle up to her eyes. The new rifle looked remarkably similar to the old Incisor Rifle, but instead of a blue finish, it was white. In addition, instead of a three round burst, the rifle was semi-automatic. Shepard flipped the lens cap up and off of the 7x scope, and brought herself up onto a knee. She inserted a thermal clip into the rifle and scanned the room. On the side of the rifle were letters that read 'Vakarian Mk. X.' Shepard allowed herself a small grin.

"Where is she?" Shepard mouthed to Ramirez, who was sitting up. The man hefted his own weapon and shrugged. The hanger was deathly quiet, only occasionally interrupted by Rambo's excited yaps. Suddenly, a shadow appeared over Shepard's head. The woman rolled out of the way just in time. When the Empress landed, she created cracks in the floor of the hanger.

"You think you can win, Organics?!" the Empress howled. "You are nothing but filth, scared of the new! You are slow!"

"Says the hulk woman leading an army of zombies!" Shepard shot back, raising her rifle. She fired and a tentacle fell away from the Empress's head. The woman screamed. That was when Shepard fell under a long shadow. She looked up, Ramirez looked up, and even the Empress looked up. A long, sleek ship droned into the hanger. Dark silhouettes, two in counting, rushed out of the cabin. It was an Arrow Yacht. 'What is a civilian doing here?' Shepard thought.

"Shepard!" Ramirez barked. "Look alive!" Shepard whipped around, and was grabbed by the neck, hoisted into the air once more. Shepard was pinned up against a crate, with the Empress pressing her face into Shepard's with a snarl.

"You will die now, Organic," the Empress whispered, raising her free hand back. "Feel comfort in whatever fake deity you dedicate your pitiful mind to." Shepard squinted her eyes tight. She thought of her daughters, her bondmate, how undeniably stupid it was that after all she had survived, she was going to die by a rabid A.I. Shepard thought of Rose, of her Sunshine… her beautiful Benezia.

The blow never came. There was a distant clanging noise and the sound of whistling. Shepard watched as… a yellow, glowing arrow stuck out of the Empress's forehead. The Empress's grip slackened, and her eyes rolled back. Shepard fell and landed right on top of the A.I. She shakily stood and grabbed her rifle off of the floor. She stooped down and touched the arrow. A sharp burning sensation causing Shepard to reel her hand back with a hiss.

"Shepard…" Ramirez whispered. "Look…" Shepard snapped her head up and focused on the figure standing in the door of the ship. At first, Shepard didn't recognize her. She had gaunt cheeks, slightly parted lips, a cut on her right cheek, and bandages over her arms and hands. She wore a white tank top and tight pants. The area between her stomach and her pants were open, revealing her blue belly button. Shepard could see cuts there too.

Then, there was a quiet boom. Ramirez tentatively looked out and saw about a thousand ships drop into space. Blue Suns, Eclipse, even Blood Pack ships. All gunships, and all carrying big payloads.

Shepard took a step forward, her eyes wide with disbelief. Time seemed to stop. Her breathing stopped. The world stopped.

**_"Daddy…?"_**


	30. Chapter 30 I found you

Shepard gasped as her… her daughter threw herself from the airlock of the ship and tackled Shepard to the ground. Inna was immediately smothering her with wet kisses, her eyes streaming with tears. Claire was in complete shock. Her mind couldn't even register the hectic asari hugging her so tightly that it cracked her back. Inna was bawling, her biotics flickering pitifully. Claire could just see over Inna's back an unfamiliar asari climbing down, eyeing the ship carefully. Her skin was a light purple color, and she was undoubtedly gorgeous. Who was Inna travelling with? Why was she here?! "Daddy!" Inna screamed, "I found you! I found you!" The other asari shuffled over nervously and bit her bottom lip. She rubbed Inna's back, and Shepard saw real warmth in those eyes. Whoever this… woman was… she and Inna were somehow close. That didn't matter to Shepard however. The Shepard snapped up, and pulled Inna away from the other asari. The asari took her hand away and her eyes widened with surprise.

"What are you doing here?!" Shepard yelled right into her daughter's smiling face. Except it wasn't her daughter. This… this person...this person was not the Inna that Shepard had left behind. Shepard recognized that look in Inna's eyes, however joyful and elated they were. That youthful shine that Shepard saw in the recruits she had trained with, the look that Inna had had when she had left. It was gone. It was replaced with the look that Shepard had seen hundreds of times. Inna looked fifteen when Shepard had left, fifteen in human years. She looked perhaps a thousand now. Also in human years.

Inna's jubilated looked was replaced by a startled one. Her body visibly tensed under her bandages. Inna's tears did not dry up.

"W-what…?" Inna whimpered.

"Answer me!" Shepard yelled, shaking her daughter's shoulders. "What are you doing here?!"

"I-I-I c-came to f-find-"

"No!" Shepard shouted. "No!" Shepard released her stuttering girl and covered her hands with her face. This wasn't happening. This wasn't happening. This wasn't happening. Why?! Why did the universe seem to hate her so much? The reapers were bad. The sadistic personality disorder that ruined her childhood was bad. Carly, Shepard's best friend in the boarding school, her death had been bad. The fact that it had been Claire who had killed her was bad. But this? Those were nothing compared to this. Something about seeing your daughter in a ship full of blood thirsty A.I.'s would do that to you.

The asari took a tentative step forward, her eyes glancing from Inna to Shepard and back again. She placed her hand on Inna's shoulder, and said,

"Commander… Inna has been through a great deal to find you. Omega… White Rock… down on Akuze-"

You took her down THERE?!" Shepard yelled. Rambo whimpered, and scurried behind Ramirez's legs. It seemed his one fear was angry red heads… Inna stepped up.

"I told her to take us down there-!"

"Who are you?!" Shepard shouted, jabbing her finger into the woman's chest. The woman didn't blink.

"My name is Ora Basir," She said. "I'm uh… I'm a dancer, and a pilot."

"Define dancer," Shepard seethed. This time Ora fidgeted with her hands.

"Eh… a stripper," Ora admitted. "But not a hooker. There's a difference. Even on Omega."

"Wait, wait, wait," Shepard groaned. She was shaking with rage right now. Everything was all confused. This wasn't happening. This wasn't happening. This wasn't happening... "You went to OMEGA?!" Inna seemed to shrink even more under the weight of the words. Her tears weren't happy ones anymore.

"I-I… my plan was to… to get a pilot who would take me to a planet that had gone dark," Inna whimpered. "A-and, I… I met Ora. She hid me from Aria's guards."

"Aria chased you?" Shepard asked incredulously. Inna nodded tentatively.

"Mamma … Mamma called her," Inna sniffled. "She's really mad." Something snapped in Shepard's chest. It was as if all of her childhood anger was rushing back. She grabbed Inna's shoulders and slammed her against the side of the ship with tremendous force. Inna gasped, Ora gasped, even Ramirez gasped.

"MAD?!" Shepard yelled with the power of Harbinger's beam. "MAD? MAD IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT! HOW COULD YOU DO SUCH A STUPID THING?! STUPID!"

"Shepard-!"

"DO YOU EVEN CARE ABOUT YOUR MOTHER?!" Shepard screamed. Inna was gasping for air, and Ora was beginning to advance. Shepard took one of her hands away from Inna's shoulders, and biotically pushed the stripper away. Ora gasped and was sent careening into Ramirez. "HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO HER?! DID IT EVEN CROSS THROUGH YOUR THICK HEAD HOW STUPID THIS WAS?! WHAT IF YOU HAD GOTTEN KILLED, INNA?! WHAT THEN?!" When Shepard smacked Inna across the cheek, the sound echoed out through the shuttle bay and deep into the ship. Inna's gasp of pain soon followed it. Shepard panted heavily, glaring into Inna's shocked expression. "Shepard-!" Ramirez barked. Shepard snapped her head to the man, her green eyes glowing with blue biotic energy.

"WHAT?!" She yelled. Ramirez's eyes were wide and focused on the body of the Empress. Shepard looked to her and saw the A.I. pull the arrow out of her head with a hiss. She let out a faint chuckle and stood slowly. She held her hand out in the direction of the A.I.'s and V.I.'s on the floor, including June, who was stirring. Suddenly, faint green light appeared around them. June gasped, and her back arched. The green light flowed out of her and the others and

into the Empress's own body. Shepard watched in horror as the Empress's tentacles grew back and the hole in her head filled in.

"Stupid organics," the Empress sighed and turned, with her tentacles and hands raised. "I gave these machines their life. Who says I cannot take it all back…?" Shepard watched as June's breathing slowed and the green light vanished. June stopped breathing.

"June!" Shepard cried, preparing to run to the girl. A tentacle cracked out and struck Shepard's bare stomach. She gasped and fell back. Her stomach began to bleed with a severe burning sensation. Inna collapsed to the ground, coughing and sputtering. It was just then when it registered in Claire's mind of what she had done.

"Inna…" Claire panted. "Sunshine… I didn't…" The look that Inna gave her broke Shepard's already aching heart. It was a look of disbelief, like after all she had been through to find her father, it was all for nothing. It was a look of fear. Fear of her father's hands. Afraid of an anger that no daughter of Claire's had ever seen. Claire didn't yell. Liara was the one that got steamed. Inna was afraid of her.

"Inna…" Ora whispered and rushed over to Inna's side, wrapping her arms around the girl's shoulders. Inna wept into the dancer's chest, and Ora placed delicate kisses on her crests. Shepard's parental instincts would have kicked in seeing that, but she was too shocked. Her anger was now turned towards herself. What had she done?

"Shepard!" Ramirez said anxiously. "She's eyein' me chica! Shepard!" The Empress had her eyes set on Ramirez, but the gaze swept over to the young asari huddled into the dancer's embrace.

"Is that your offspring, Organic?" the Empress asked, her question pointed at Claire. The Empress moved faster than she should have. She was upon Ora and Inna in an instant. A tentacle lashed out and wrapped around Inna's neck. The girl couldn't even scream. Inna was wrenched from Ora's hold, resulting in a gasp from them both. Claire was on her feet in an instant.

"Such a pretty thing…" the Empress chuckled, holding Inna up. Inna's face turned a sickly grey, air not reaching her lungs. Inna's hands gripped the tentacles, trying to free herself. Ora rushed blindly at the hulk asari, with courage even Claire could see. Or stupidity. Mental note taken.

Ora was snapped across the cheek by a tentacle, sending the stripper reeling. Inna looked after her, and saw a long, deep, ragged cut on her cheek. Ora's eyes were wide with shock, her hands clutching her cheek, blood falling. Shepard actually saw rage on her daughter's face. How… how close were they?

"Watch as she dies, Organic," the Empress purred. Shepard activated her biotics and rushed the Empress, creating a barrier around her body. The Empress growled and struck Shepard several times to no avail. Shepard's rage was now solely focused on the red hulk A.I. choking her daughter. Shepard gripped the Empress's neck and squeezed with biotic energy flowing through her. Her face was contorted with blind fury. Shepard flattened the Empress to

the ground with bone cracking force, and the hulk was actually astounded. Shepard was a grizzly bear protecting her cubs.

Shepard pressed the Empress's head down into the floor of the hanger bay. The hulk's head turned a sickly grey and seemed ready to burst like a water melon. The tentacles on the back of her head thrashed, and Inna was released. The girl coughed and sputtered as Ora rushed over and pulled her away. Out of the corner of her eye Shepard saw Ora cup Inna's face, frantically asking if she was alright. Shepard's daughter just began to sob. Ora hugged her tightly, whispering reassurances in her 'ear.'

Shepard also saw the hundreds of ships outside, each one beginning to glow faintly; the telltale sign of powering up cannons. Shepard's eyes widened, her grip just slackening. It was just enough for the Empress to lash out with all of her crests and throw Shepard across the hanger. The hulk inhaled deeply and coughed. She wasn't up long, for Ramirez placed his boot on her chest and shook his head. He pointed the barrel of his rifle into her face, and pushed her down.

"Ah, ah, ah," Ramirez warned. Shepard slowly stood up and clutched her stomach. It wasn't bleeding as badly, but it still hurt like a bitch. Not as much as her heart did, however. Shepard limped over to Inna, and fell to her knees. Inna sniffled and shrank deeper into Ora's hold. Shepard's eyes rested on the blue mark on Inna's cheek, leftover from Claire's hand. When Claire slowly raised her hand, Ora tightened her grip around the girl's shoulders. Claire glanced up and gently placed her hand on Inna's cheek, caressing the burning blue skin. Inna looked up with glistening eyes filled with fright.

"Sunshine…" Claire murmured. "Come here… come to Daddy…" Inna's only response was a whimper. Claire's eyes welled with her own tears. "Please… my beautiful… beautiful baby girl… I am so, so sorry. Come here…" Inna sniffled and drew closer to her father. When she felt her father's hands start to slide around her back, Inna rushed forward and sobbed into her father's neck. Claire sat back and rocked the small girl in her lap. "Shh… shh…"

"I… I'm s-so s-sorry, Daddy," Inna wept.

"No, no, no," Shepard hushed. "You have nothing to be sorry for. I should never have hit you…" Shepard's voice cracked, and she pressed her face into the indents of Inna's crests. "I'm so sorry, Sunshine." Inna just shook her head and raised her eyes. She kissed her father and curled up in her lap. Shepard stroked Inna's cheek and began to sing their song. Ramirez and Ora's eyes widened at the heavenly voice that sounded from the soldier woman responsible for the defeat of the Reapers, and the slaughtering of batarians on both Torfan, and the Bahak system.

"You are my Sunshine, my only Sunshine… you make me happy… when skies are grey…" Inna tied her fingers in her father's hair, getting lost in the reassuring, beautiful voice. Ramirez glanced to Ora and kept his eyes mostly focused on the seething Empress under his boot. Inna's breath hitched when she felt something soft press against her side. She looked down, and her eyes widened.

"Daddy…" Inna whispered. "What… what is that?" Shepard looked down and smiled warmly. She kissed the back of Inna's head and brought the animal into Inna's lap. The asari gasped at Rambo's soft fur, and the puppy began to lick her face.

"This is a dog, Sunshine," Shepard murmured. "A husky. His name is Rambo. I found him in an abandoned house. I was going to bring him home and surprise you with him. He's yours now." Inna looked up at her father with huge, endearing eyes.

"Really?" Inna asked with wonder.

"Uh huh," Shepard grinned. "You're his master. See? He already likes you!" Rambo jumped off of Inna's lap and wagged his tail, letting out a playful yap. He jumped around and lowered his front legs, ready to play. He jumped at Inna, and he placed his paws on her shoulders. He yapped cheerfully into Inna's face and licked her nose. Inna's small, barely audible giggle was not missed by her father. Inna looked up to her father and tears fell once more.

"I love you, Daddy," Inna murmured. Shepard kissed her, and replied,

"I love you too, Sunshine." Shepard sighed into her daughter's crests. She pulled back a bit, and looked her daughter up and down. "What happened? I want the whole story. The whole story." Inna gulped and looked at Ora. The stripper looked very uncomfortable.

"Please, Daddy…" Inna whispered, her eyes squeezing shut. "Don't… don't hate me…" Shepard cocked her head and her eyes slightly widened.

"What are you saying, Love?" She asked anxiously. "I could never hate you." Inna looked into her father's eyes.

"Promise not to hate yourself." Inna's statement chilled Shepard to her core. Shepard wasn't one to lie to her daughters. But… to a statement such as that?

"Promise."

Inna's eyes snapped open, revealing the obsidian orbs underneath. Shepard closed the tiny distance between them and closed her eyes. What she would see… would haunt Claire for the rest of her life.

000

Riley sat up with a ruffled expression. Her hair was a messy, and something inside her said: Feed me. Riley sniffed nonchalantly and looked up the stairs that she had been thrown down. She saw her friends and new girlfriend fending off a hysterically laughing A.I. Riley smoothed out the front of her armor for invisible ruffles and stood up. She let out a yawn.

Riley was up in a flash, her shotgun held up and aimed at the A.I. She fired three rapid shots, loaded in another thermal clip, and continued. March took each round to the chest, and her laughter faltered. She staggered and felt the gaping holes in her chest.

"Pain is a bitch huh?" Riley asked. Rae smirked at the remark and slammed March with her biotics into the wall. Riley heard March's synthetic skeleton crack. Rae was more powerful than she looked. March grimaced, and Riley could see those eyes glisten.

"Pain?" March asked, standing straight, forcing her eyes shut. Riley raised a brow as March stretched her back with a loud snap, the bones forced back into place. March reached into her gaping chest and pulled out the remains of the organic heart she had been implanted with, reminding Riley of scooping the seeds out of the top of a pumpkin on Halloween. March flicked the mushy mess from her finger tips and sneered. "Pain? An organic limitation." She lunged. Bianca rushed up from behind her human and warped March straight into the stomach. March hissed and backhanded the commando. Bianca dodged, weaved, and made a sweeping kick up and into March's jaw. Bianca cried out in pain, her ankle smashing against the hard metal jaw.

"Stupid organic," March jeered, gripping Bianca's swelling ankle, dropping onto her back, and twisting. Bianca had the brains to roll with the twist, saving her from a broken ankle. Bianca smashed March away, sending the A.I. careening into a startled Rowena. Rowena gasped and was tackled out of the way by her father. March rolled legs over her head across the glossy floor of the hallway. March was growing visibly more infuriated. She stood in a flash, her metal skin dissolving, revealing her metal skeleton underneath. March roared in frustration and began ripping her own skin off of her body.

"That's so cool…" Riley chuckled.

"What?" Rae asked incredulously.

"What?" Riley shrugged, lifting her shotgun with her trademark grin. "You have to admit that's pretty badass!" When March had finished tearing apart her own skin, she grinned evilly at her opponents. Her metal skeleton shone with the glow of the lighting above them, brightness casting off the glossy black bones. Riley saw March's organ's slowly begin to fall out of her open stomach and rib cage. Her hair and skin were gone around her face, revealing the black skull underneath, grinning with anticipation. Riley was immediately reminded of an old movie from the twentieth century…

"Drop your guns," March sneered, "and I may make your deaths quick."

"Not a chance!" Riley shot back, helping Bianca up with a pull of her left hand. Rae held Rowena behind her back, she herself standing to the left and behind Riley. The human woman advanced on March the black skeleton and aimed down the sights of her assault shotgun. She blasted the ebony frame with firepower, flying a warp with her left hand. March walked through the storm of blue and red, gripped the frame of the weapon, and twisted it out of Riley's grip. The human retaliated by gripping March's spine and shooting dark energy through it like a lightning rod. Blue flames appeared out of the eye sockets of March's skull, and March screamed. She backhanded Riley with all the force she had.

Riley was sent flying into the right wall, her back slamming against it. March pulled the burning eyeballs from their sockets. She then proceeded to run a few feet, grab Bianca's face and throw her into a wall, too, and then jumped up and into a vent in the ceiling. Riley could hear her scrambling through the ducts like a rat. The sound soon faded away, leaving Riley to pick herself up.

"I hate those damn things," Rae breathed, taking Riley's hand and lifting her up. Riley felt Rae's bare hand in her own. Riley sneezed.

"You okay?" Rowena asked, gripping Riley's shoulders and also helping her up, Bianca limping to them.

"I'm good, kiddo," Riley promised, even though Rowena was much, much older than her. She rubbed Rowena's shoulder reassuringly and sneezed again.

"Riley?" Bianca asked. Riley looked up.

"What?"

"Are you alright?" She asked anxiously. Riley sneezed for a third time and broke out into a fit of coughs. Bianca's eyes widened when Riley braced her hands on her knees. "Riley!"

"I'm good, I'm good!" Riley hushed. She stood up and grinned. "See? Just fine. Probably just my allergies acting up. Come on." She gestured to the stairs with her thumb. "Let's get to the helm and back to Granny before she gets herself killed." She gave Bianca a grin and nodded towards the stairs. Bianca slowly began walking in their direction, giving Riley a fleeting look. When Riley's three comrades left, Riley sneezed again. Why was she sneezing all of a sudden? Probably nothing.

000

Riley jogged into the helm to find Rae sitting at a large chair, a long view screen in front of her. A holographic interface was displayed on the dash with Rae's fingers sweeping across it with ease. Rae suddenly slowed.

"I'm going to miss this ship," Rae muttered. "Should have seen it in its prime. Best looking ship in the Prothean Fleet."

"How big is your fleet?" Bianca asked. Rae smirked at the commando.

"Calling it big would be the biggest understatement of the century," Rae remarked. "Our numbers would blot out the skies." Riley's eyes narrowed.

"What did you say?" Riley asked. Rae gave her an odd look.

"What… did I say?" Rae asked, turning back to the HUD.

"If there is life in Andromeda," Bianca whispered. "Are there… more races?" Rae glanced over.

"There were," Rae nodded. "Not anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean they're all gone now," Rae said. "You're looking back millennia, madam."

"Why are they gone?" Riley asked. Rowena stood beside her father and said,

"They stood up to Prothean rule," Rowena replied. "Either they can submit, or they can be wiped out." Riley's hand rested on her shotgun.

"What's going to stop you from taking over our galaxy?" Riley asked. Rae snorted.

"Why do you think we're here?" Rae asked softly.

"Excuse me?" Bianca asked.

"Got you," Rae grinned. "But all jokes aside? At this point, it takes too much to get a ship here. The amount of fuel and supplies that we would need to get here…? Too much."

"At this point?" Bianca asked. "What about when travel between galaxies is simpler? What then?"

"When that point comes," Rae said seriously, "surrender. It'll end better for you and your people if you do." Riley and Bianca looked at each other. Claire would need to know about this. For now, they would just roll with it. Suddenly the ship began to shake, and the view screen ahead of them showed the stars appearing to move. Then, the planet of Akuze came into view.

"Those ships are making me uneasy," Rae growled, as Akuze came and went from view as the ship turned. Riley could then see hundreds of mercenary ships out there.

"What are they even doing here?" Riley asked.

"Readings say they are all flying under a single flag," Rae said. "Here," Rae tapped a few keys and the view screen flickered. An insignia then appeared on the screen in front of them, a design of orange.

"The Shadow Broker?" Bianca asked. Riley grinned.

"Oh, thank god," Riley sighed. "They're friendly. The Broker and Shepard know each other. Their probably here for her." That was when Riley saw soft lights flickering on the ships. The following barrage from the ships felt like the mighty Thor was hammering the ship.

"Friendly huh?" Rae asked through gritted teeth. "Damn!"

"Are the shields and barriers up?" Bianca asked.

"Fuck!" Rae swore. "Uh, No. They're not! Damn it!" The ship shook with such force, Riley felt her teeth chattering. The glass of the view screen cracked and the lights flickered. Suddenly, the HUD disappeared out from under Rae's fingers. Rae swore again, her daughter covering her 'ears.' Rae tried in vain through the quake to get her controls back, but to no avail.

"We're drifting!" Rae growled. "I don't have any control." The ship shuddered, and Riley heard a deep groan from the ship's engines. Riley braced herself against the back of Rae's chair, as Akuze appeared back on the screen. "We're falling into Akuze's atmosphere! I can't stop the ship!"

"What are we going to do?!" Rowena asked. Rae jumped from the chair and grabbed her daughter's hand.

"I'm getting my daughter out of here," Rae said firmly, leading Rowena past Riley and Bianca. "There are escape pods near the shuttle bay. You're welcome to come along."

000

Shepard gasped and fell back from the meld. The ship was shaking violently. What Claire had seen in her daughter's memories shook Claire to her core, the memory of the bodies of men lying at her daughter's feet was almost too much. Inna had killed five men… including a krogan. It made Claire sick that Inna had killed so young, had killed at all. And it was Claire's fault. She should never have left home… then maybe Inna would have never been exposed to the guilt behind killing someone as early as she herself had.

"Shepard!" Ramirez yelled over the shuddering ship. He was half hanging out of the arrow yacht, with Ora disappearing inside as well. "We gotta go! Those ships are taking us down!" Shepard pulled Inna up and looked into those tear filled eyes.

"I love you," Shepard said tenderly. "We're going to go home, and I'll never leave you again." Inna whimpered and hugged her father tightly. Shepard had to force away her guilt for now. She had to get her baby girl out of here. Shepard hoisted Inna up and into the ship.

"What about Riley and the others?" Ramirez asked, grabbing Inna's arm and pulling her in. Shepard gasped. She had forgotten all about the others. Riley… Shepard had gotten to know the woman and honestly liked her but… She had to get Inna out of here. And the other red asari… no, Inna mattered more to her than they did.

"We're getting out of here," Shepard growled, Ramirez helping her into the ship.

"We're leaving them?!" Ramirez asked incredulously.

"I'm getting my daughter out of here!" Shepard yelled, pushing the man inside. "If you want to get yourself killed and go look for them, be my guest!" Ramirez looked at her for a few long moments before swearing and shaking his head. He shut the airlock and said,

"The red bitch took off into the rafters while you and your kid were… doing that thing," Ramirez said. "I dunno where she went, but she'll be going down with the ship."

"Good," Shepard muttered. She took Inna's trembling hand and led her to the helm. Shepard felt the ship take off from the floor of the shuttle bay. Ora was already getting them out of here. Shepard ignored the astonishingly nice decor of the ship and stood behind the stripper that held all of their lives in her hands. Rafters fell from the roof of the shuttle bay, and the crates in the corners began to blow up. Ora punched it, and the ship rocketed out of the hanger.

"The white flag is up!" Ora said. "But they're still shooting at us!" Suddenly, the ship shuddered and something shaped like a triangle shot past them. Then another. Shepard saw them rocket down to the planet.

"Were those escape pods?" Ora asked.

"Maybe," Ramirez replied with a grin. "Riley and the other might be in those!"

"Goddess, I hope so," Shepard whispered. That was when the ship shuddered with an ear rattling sound of whining from the engines. Shepard was thrown to the floor, along with Inna and Ramirez.

"Goddess!" Ora cried. "We're going down too!"

"What?!" Inna gasped.

"They took out our engines!" Ora yelled. "I'm only barely keeping us from tumbling! I cannot stop us!"

"Daddy!" Inna screamed. Shepard grabbed her and pulled her close.

"Does this thing have chutes?!" Shepard asked. Ora looked back at her with wide eyes.

"You're not suggesting-!"

"Yes or no?!" Ramirez asked, obviously thinking the same thing as Claire.

"Yes!" Ora replied. "For skydiving!"

"Tell me where!" Shepard ordered.

"Third door on your right! I'm going to try and slow us down!" Ramirez and Claire ran down into the ship, leaving Inna and Ora.

"Now I see where you get it!" Ora said to Inna anxiously, fighting for control of her yacht.

"I love you!" Inna cried, and pressed her lips to Ora's. She cupped Ora's face and forced back fearful tears. When Inna leaned back, Ora gave her a reassuring nod.

"I love you, too," Ora said tenderly. "Go help your dad, I'll take care of things here!" Inna gave Ora a fleeting look and kissed her cheek. When Inna turned, her father was standing there, her eyes set on the stripper that had just been pressing her lips to her girl's. Ora saw rage in Shepard's eyes. That look was scarier than blowing up in the Akuze skies. Shepard grabbed Inna and pushed her back into the ship. Shepard got close to Ora's face.

"Never touch her again," Shepard seethed. "Ever. And if you do… I'll kill you. You're a no good whore… she's way out of your league." Ora glared at Shepard through glistening eyes.

"Maybe she is," Ora shot back, "but I've never felt this way about someone before. I get she's too young… I get she's too good for me, but I'll love her whether you like it or not." Shepard's bristled with fury. Later. She would deal with this whore later. Now, she had to get her daughter off of this ship, and back home where she belonged.

000

A/N: Sorry for the slow updates. I'll try to get back into gear soon... I've had a very busy week.


	31. Chapter 31 Clad in Black

Well. She had found her father. She had survived Omega, White Rock, the dead city on Akuze, and had even boarded a ship full of hungry A.I.'s. She had killed five men so far, fallen in love with a beautiful stripper from Omega, and had discovered a strength that she had realized she possessed. She had run, jumped, and fought more this past week than she had in her entire life. She had also seen a side of her father that shook Inna to her core. That look of rage in her father's eyes had been terrifying. She also knew that she was the only child of Shepard's to see it.

Now, the ship that Inna and Ora had stolen was rocketing through Akuze's atmosphere, burning up in a great blaze of fire. The windows looking out were covered with flames, making the inside of the ship glow a brilliant orange. The heat was starting to get to the frantic occupants, who were getting ready to bail out.

"Basir!" Shepard called through the ships halls. "Deploy flaps and cooling systems! Slow us down as much as you can!" Inna couldn't hear a response, but felt the ship shudder and vibrate. The human man that Daddy had been with was strapping a parachute onto Inna's back, after he and Shepard had put their own on.

"Listen to me," Daddy said, pulling the straps on Inna's chute tight. Inna's stomach tightened at what she knew her father was about ask her to do. "Listen. Jumping out of an aircraft is one of the safest things a person can do. Fact."

"What?" Inna asked. "H-how?"

"It's simple, Sunshine," Shepard said, her voice never wavering. "When I tell you to jump, don't stop, don't even think of what you are doing. All I want you to do is step out, count to five, and pull this cord here." Her father indicated a cord with a short handle at the end.

"Daddy, I don't think I-!"

"Inna, you came here," Shepard said firmly. "You should have thought about this when you decided to enter a war zone." Inna saw her father's face twinge with guilt and pain, before disappearing into a mask of firm determination. "What are you going to do, Baby? Tell me." Inna shut her eyes and whimpered,

"S-s-step out, c-count to five, a-and p-p-pull the cord." Shepard nodded.

"That's right, Gorgeous," Shepard said. "That's right. Say it again." Inna recited the words. "Again." Inna did so. "Again." Inna once again said the words. "One more time." Inna did so. "Good, that's good, Baby. You're doing so well. Now I want you to stay here with Ramirez, and tell him what you're going to do." Inna nodded frightfully, and looked at the man, who knelt before her and waited. Inna began to repeat her orders over and over again with Ramirez nodding and making sure she didn't mess up.

Shepard came back a moment later, placing Inna's new 'dog' into a duffle bag tied to a parachute. Rambo whined and seemed as apprehensive as Inna did. Claire whispered an apology before zipping the bag up.

"He'll be fine," Shepard growled. Shepard carried him to the rear of the ship, and opened the back hatch. The ramp lowered down with a groan, and the Akuze skyline appeared. The mountains were a sight in the afternoon sky, their white caps seemed to glow. The muddy plains ended at the base of the mountains, where red and brown grass and forests reached up. It was becoming fall…

"I think she's good, Shepard," Ramirez commented, patting Inna's shoulder.

"Keep repeating it," Shepard ordered, ignoring the man. Inna sniffled and kept doing as her father asked. Inna then cried out as Shepard threw Rambo out of the ship in his bag. Shepard turned from the rushing wind in the door and looked at Inna firmly.

"He'll be fine," Shepard repeated. "Come here, Inna. Don't stop."

"Step out, c-count to five, p-pull the cord," Inna whispered through her tightly squeezed eyes.

"Inna," Shepard whispered. "Look at me." Inna slowly opened her eyes. Her father was cupping her cheek. "You. Will. Be. Fine. I swear. I'll meet you on the ground as soon as everyone is out."

"B-but-!"

"Inna!" Shepard snapped. "You have to listen to me!" Inna let out a choked sob. Shepard's gaze softened, and the two embraced. Inna felt her father rub her back gently and heard her whisper, "Shh… It's going to be okay, Love. Just do as I told you, and I will see you down there." Inna nodded shakily.

"I love you, Daddy…"

"I love you too, Inna," Shepard replied. "Never doubt that." Inna felt herself being led over to the door, she heard the rushing wind roar past her, tearing at her clothes. Inna felt the heels of her boots tip over the edge. "I love you." Inna cried out in terror as she became weightless. Inna opened her eyes and watched the burning ship soar away. Inna then felt herself twist onto her stomach. The ground was speeding up so fast, the distance between herself and it closing.

"F-f-five!" Inna screamed over the noise of the wind. "F-f-f-f-four! T-three!" The ground was closing faster. "Two!" Inna's heart was beating a mile a minute, her clothes felt like they were being ripped from her body. "One!" Inna yanked the cord from the strap. When the chute unfolded from Inna's pack, it was so violent that Inna felt as if the Goddess herself was thrashing her about in the air. Inna's legs flipped up over her vision, and her clothes felt like they were ripping at the seams. Then everything calmed.

Inna panted as the violence of the chute opening stopped. Inna's eyes widened. She was drifting over the mud plains, the weather pleasant and the sun setting. Inna saw the mountains growing nearer, and she knew she would land in the forest. Inna's breathing slowed, and her heart calmed down. The chute carried Inna over the rolling hills and up the side of the mountain. The whole ride only lasted about twenty seconds.

Inna hit the ground hard. She landed on the angled side of the mountain, so when Inna felt her feet slam into the ground, she tipped forward and face planted. Inna cried out and the parachute drifted and covered her like a massive blanket. Inna was sore all over, but she thought nothing was broken. Inna slipped the parachute off of her back and twisted out from under it. Inna slowly stood up, her muscles and bones creaking and moaning. Inna looked around.

The grass was about knee high, brown, golden, and red. The trees had the same, musky look, with the leaves gently falling down every few seconds or so. The deep grey clouds swirled overhead, casting the already darkening landscape under a shadow. Birds chirped in the peacefulness of the thick woods. A rocky outcropping to Inna's right had a soft trickle of water dripping from its cracks. Inna's blue skin contrasted with the warmer colors around her. The air was a soothing warm, with a gentle wind blowing by. Inna fell back onto her butt in the grass and rubbed her face. She was alone again.

Inna looked herself up and down, checking inventory. Her knife was still there in its sheath on her arm. She was wearing her black tank top, a pair of tan camo pants that had been in the closet of Inna's room aboard the ship, and her hiking boots. Inna had just been able to pull on the pants just after Daddy had gone looking for the parachutes. Inna had her Omni-tool, so she would have also her bow. That was it, though. No gloves, no guns, no backpack, no nothing. Inna looked up to the sky and saw the trail of smoke that the ship left in its wake. She stood back up and watched as the ship disappeared into the clouds, just before two chutes opened up underneath it. There should have been three… Daddy said she would be the last out…

"Come on… come on…" Inna pleaded under her breath. Inna let out a timid sigh when she saw a third chute open up, drifting lazily into the city. The city. Inna's breath caught in her throat. That was where those things were… That was when the sky darkened.

Inna looked up in horror. The A.I. ship was falling through the afternoon sky. Its flames seemed to be dissolving the hull like acid, debris trailing behind it mixed with heavy, pitch black smoke. Whenever a piece of the mighty ship broke off, it boomed like Thor's hammer striking the ground. Its form blotted out the sunlight above Inna's head, making the thick forest darken as if in night. The ground vibrated intensely, so much in fact that Inna stumbled and fell into the leaves that covered the ground. Bits of dirt and pebbles bounced down the sloped floor of the forest, some rolling past Inna's nose. The closer the ship got to the ground, the louder the booming became. Inna squeaked when a massive explosion erupted in the center of the ship, with such force that Inna's was blinded by the bright white light.

Inna felt an intense wind buffet her tank top, felt leaves swirl around as if caught in a tornado. There was a high pitched screeching sound of metal being ripped apart in the explosion. The torrent of wind and slight heat went on for several heart pounding minutes. Inna's heart raced almost as fast as she panted, waiting for the storm to end. As the explosion carried on, it slowly ebbed away back into silence. Only when Inna heard the birds chirping once more, singing their song, did she raise her head to look back at the faint outline of where the city once was.

Inna stood slowly, clutching herself. The tall buildings that Inna had been able to see were gone now. The explosion had erupted just over the tallest of them, sending them crashing down. Inna watched as the only building that survived the intial impact slowly shake until it toppled like a child's toy. A massive dust cloud covered the city like mist, so thick that the sky turned deep brown. The black smoke left behind by the ship was still there, slowly ebbing away. Inna's heart stopped. Her father was in there. Inna started forward at a hurried pace, when yet another noise filled the sky, this one humming.

Inna looked back up, dreading what other kind of falling debris would try to separate her and her father even more. A ship of some kind zipped down through the smoke cloud, a bright yellow insignia posted on the right side. Inna had seen that logo in enough vid games to know that was Eclipse. One of the merc bands that had shot them down. Inna's heart screamed at her to just go. Go and look for her father amongst the rubble. But her head and her instincts told her to stay put. Who knew, those ships might be looking to finish the job. Inna dropped to her stomach and crawled over behind a large, leafy bush. The ship got closer and closer to her before landing amongst the trees on the slope. Leaves were blown in all directions and the exhaust from the ship's thrusters buffeted Inna's clothes.

When the ship touched down, a sliding door opened up, revealing about twenty heavily armed mercenaries. The ship had landed about a hundred yards down the slope from Inna, so she had a good view of them. They all looked to be human, both males and females. There was one salarian technician, and one young asari, obviously the leader, who Inna's eyes focused on. The woman was tall, with a muscular build and a fierce expression. Her crests were long and elegant. She wore black leather tights, black combat boots, and a large, assault shotgun on her back hip. Her sleeves were cutoff, leaving her muscular arms bare. She also had black fingerless gloves on. Her eyes were a deep grey color, giving her an older look, but the eyes were devilishly sharp. She was not old, in fact she was younger than Inna would have thought the Eclipse would accept. Easily Rose's age, maybe a year older at the most. Inna couldn't believe what she was seeing, however. Her skin was a deep, rich scarlet.

"Fan out," The… girl ordered. "Richmond, I want you to take Ivan and Redford to stay with the tech."

"Yes, Ma'am," one of the mercs replied, a woman. Her voice was shaky, as if she were afraid of the red girl. The mercenaries began to spread out, with the red girl leading the walk up the mountain side. How could this be? How was this possible? There were more red asari out there?! Who was this person? Inna wanted to jump out and ask the girl questions, but once again, her instincts said _stay put_. Inna watched as the red asari advanced up the hill, a hand on the shotgun she carried. As she drew closer, Inna crept around the opposing side of the bush, her knife out without her even thinking about it.

The red asari stood right beside the bush, looking up rather than down. From Inna's position, she could drive this knife right into her neck before the red girl could react. Inna watched her closely and could see the abs through the tight black suit. She could make out an intricate black tattoo on the asari's right arm. It was a black outline of a fire, with a thick, embroidered circle around it. Inside the rim of the circle were words in some kind of language that Inna couldn't understand. Perhaps a prayer…?

"Ma'am?" a soldier asked from behind the red girl, a male. "Drones indicate a mass of refuges deep in the mountains. All of them survivors. Shall I call for the relief ships?"

"What is the state of the refuges?" the red girl asked.

"They are living in a large, abandoned Alliance facility," the man responded. "We're looking at about five, maybe six thousand people, all either from the city, the surrounding country homes, or unlucky visitors. They seem to be well off, though. Judging from their movements they're running low on supplies. And, the facility is at the base of a valley, so mudslides are an issue."

"Send three of the relief ships, as well as two gunships and a troop transport," the red soldier said. "That will leave two relief ships, a gunship, and our last transport. Tell Kirix to message the Suns' and the Pack. Tell 'em to clear out. We've got it from this point on."

"Yes, Ma'am," the man said.

"King," the red asari said, stopping the man. "Tell the others not to wait up for me. I'm going to take a look around farther up the slope."

"I'll go with-"

"No, I need you to take care of things here," the red asari said sharply. "Don't argue, _Terry_." The man grumbled and trudged back down the hill. The girl smirked and rolled her eyes. "Simpleton." The red asari looked back up the mountain and began to walk at a slow pace up the mountain side. Inna waited for the girl to move up the slope a ways before sneaking up after her, moving to the right and creeping amongst the trees. She slid behind a rock and peeked over. The red asari had stopped. She was standing rigid, her head cocked and her hand tightening on her shotgun. Inna's heart pounded and a drop of sweat rolled down her cheek. The red asari rose on one foot onto her tiptoes and then jumped forward about a foot. Inna's breathing hitched. The red asari paused, cocked her head, and narrowed her eyes. She sighed and continued up the slope as if nothing had happened.

Inna followed. She ducked in between trees, clambered over boulders, jumped a creek, and even had to climb a tree once to find the red asari after she had disappeared for several moments. Inna was barely aware that she was moving farther and farther away from her father and Ora, but something told her to keep up with the red asari. They went farther and farther up, leaving the other mercenaries far behind. The ground suddenly sloped back down, a little divot in the mountain. An overhang of rock was over the divot like an awning. The red asari slid into the shaded area and stretched. Inna waited from behind a tree, her knife still gripped firmly in her hand. She crept to the edge of the downward slope and looked down at the asari from above. At the base of the slope was a creek, softly flowing down and around, all the way to the base of the mountain. The red asari stooped down and cupped a hand with water. She sipped carefully, and Inna licked her lips.

Suddenly the red asari let out a shout, and red biotics wrapped around Inna's form. Inna was wrenched down into the trench and sent sliding to the red asari's feet. Inna was on her feet faster than she thought possible, slashing her knife through the air, causing the asari to step back, the knife narrowly missing her nose. The red asari chuckled and stepped back and back and back, dodging Inna's attacks easily. Then, she flicked her wrist lazily, and biotics caused Inna to trip and fall back. Inna glowered at her and flicked her own wrist. Inna's bow unfolded from her Omni-tool. The red asari's eyes flashed with jealousy, as if instead of seeing what the bow could do to her, saw what the bow could do _for_ her. Like she wanted one. Inna aimed right at the red asari's forehead.

"You're good," the red asari purred. "I lost track of you a few times coming up that hill. Not an easy feat. Who trained you?" Inna panted, not sure what to say.

"N-no one," Inna said timidly, "U-unless you count Dice as a mentor."

"Who is Dice?" the red asari asked, with genuine interest.

"Who is…? Dice is a company," Inna said nervously. "You know…? Like, vid games? Mirror's Edge… Battlefield… Vakarian: The Video Game?"

"Vid games…" the red asari said under her breath, rubbing her chin. "I will meet this Dice…"

"Well, I mean they're second only to Biowa… Who are you?" Inna asked. The red asari looked up.

"Cilla Valeres," came the reply. "I bet seeing me is a bit of a shock-"

"You're not the first one I've seen," Inna mumbled.

"What?" Cilla asked. "Wait, you've met one of the others?"

"Others?" Inna asked.

"Yeah, there were four of us who escaped the ship!" Cilla said, growing excited. "Me, Andraste, Nikki, and Little Tye." Inna's head pounded. There were even _more_ of them? The girl, who not very long ago had Eclipse soldiers quivering in their boots, was now grinning like a little girl, something that fit her image better than that shotgun…

"N-no, I have a sister named…" Inna trailed off. Maybe telling Cilla about her sister was a bad idea. She didn't know this girl! But… Rose needed to meet this girl… "Named Rose."

"Rose…" Cilla whispered. "No… I don't know her."

"Here," Inna whispered. Inna stood up and activated her photo album on her Omni. She scrolled over to a picture of her and Rose at home, sitting on the porch. Cilla looked at the photo carefully. Inna noticed that Cilla was avoiding touching her bare arms with her own skin.

"Rose…" Cilla repeated softly. "This looks like Rowena… but that can't be possible… She's dead. She didn't escape with us."

"Rowena?" Inna asked.

"I don't know this prothean," Cilla whispered.

"P-prothean?" Inna stammered. "She's asari. She was cloned, but she came out wrong…" Cilla was very much deep in thought.

"When was this taken?" Cilla asked. The black-clad girl backed up and placed her hands on her hips.

"A month ago," Inna replied. Cilla narrowed her eyes.

"That can't be right…" Cilla murmured. "Spirits, Shepard would know what to do… Shepard… What would Shepard do…?"

"S-Shepard?!" Inna gasped. Cilla allowed herself a grin.

"Shepard is my idol," Cilla said breathlessly. "I mean, stopping an entire race of gigantic robots out to kill all organic life? I grew up aboard that ship that crashed, listening to stories about her on the links… I worship her!" Inna's brain was in hyper drive right now trying to work all this out. So… Cilla had grown up aboard that ship up that had just disintegrated all over Akuze… she worshipped Inna's father… there were _more _red asari out there… they called each other protheans… and they were _fucking red_.

"Look…" Inna said, "I'll explain all that I know, but first... you mercenaries shot down my ship. My father, her friends, and my… my very, very, good, friend are all missing. There are also two escape pods down. When I see all of my friends and family safe and sound, I will tell you everything." Cilla narrowed her eyes.

"How can I trust you?" She asked. "You tried to attack me just now… Sure, we shot down your ship, but we didn't know who you were."

"What can I say to change your mind?" Inna asked with a shrug of her shoulders. "Nothing. You'll just have to take my word for it." Cilla looked at Inna closely.

"My mission is to give relief to the refugees and hunt down the remaining A.I.'s… direct orders from none other than the Shadow Broker herself…" Inna's eyes widened. Mother hadn't given up on her… Inna's heart soared. "I cannot deviate from my-"

_"My dad is Commander Shepard."_


	32. Chapter 32 Like a Knife in the Heart

Riley poked her head out of the escape pod. After a harrying ride through the atmosphere, listening to the hulking ship disintegrate around them, and seeing Claire's ship go down, they were only now daring to look outside. The pod had landed amongst the mountains, dragging across what looking like a vast meadow of brown, knee high grass that waved in the wind. The clouds were still dark, and Riley could see the smoke cloud left behind by A.I. ship.

"I think we're good, guys," Riley declared as she aimed to take a step out of the pod. Her foot caught on the edge of the frame, and she was sent sprawling.

"_We're_ good," Bianca smirked, "I don't know about you." Riley rolled her eyes and picked herself up off of the ground. She felt hands clasp her own arms and help her up. Bianca grinned at her, brushing a stray lock of hair from Riley's face.

"Clutz…" Bianca teased. Riley shrugged her shoulders sheepishly.

"Eh…" Riley sighed. Bianca kissed her softly on the lips and they hugged.

"It's going to be dark soon," Rowena said carefully, as if trying not to interrupt the two of them. "Um… maybe we should stay at the pod for the night?"

"Sounds good," Riley quipped, not really looking at the prothean. Riley leaned in and began to whisper softly into Bianca's 'ear.' Rowena watched as Bianca's face turned from mild confusion, to a look of eagerness, to anticipation, and then a contented look all in succession. Rowena blushed at Bianca's closed eyed and slightly parted mouth, and went back to the pod. Rae was climbing out, just to see her daughter rush in. Rae looked after her in confusion, and then back to the human and asari.

"Ah, can you take that somewhere else?" Rae growled. "_Spirits…_"

000

It was late that night. The air was a bit cold, but pleasant over all. Rae and Rowena had gotten a fire going, and they were all sitting around it, just a foot from the crashed pod. While everyone was looking around, half expecting some hungry A.I. to come jumping out at them, Riley couldn't have looked more at ease. She had taken off her armor gauntlets and chest piece, and zipped her undersuit down, so all that covered her was a bra. She left on her leggings much to the relief of Rowena and Rae. Riley was humming a tune, occasionally letting out a soft sneeze, as she cleaned her shotgun. The only other sound was the crackling of the fire.

"So I have a question," Riley said all of a sudden, breaking the silence. "Rowena told me about how, for your people, dying away from home is a disgrace… But you took over all of those races, so you must have gone to war at some point, right?"

"My people were advanced the moment they first landed on the home world," Rae responded softly, her right arm around her daughter's shoulders protectively. Rae was looking intently into the fire. "Within a century of our formation as a race, we had boats, planes, automobiles… Not to mention we had an advanced prothean ship in our hands. There were those among them that were scientists, taught by the protheans before the crash. I believe that we had ships around our second or third century."

"You believe?" Bianca asked.

"I'm no history buff, miss," Rae said, "I grew up in the military caste. Anyway, with ships at our disposal, and knowing that there was almost a certain chance that the new galaxy had other life, my people began to train. Prothean based martial arts, tactics, and a whole bunch of other stuff that I can't really remember. We discovered other races pretty quickly."

"Wait, how did you find them?" Bianca asked. "You didn't have Mass Relay's did you?"

"Our ships were based off of intergalactic craft designed by the best engineers in the Prothean Empire," Rae smirked. "We didn't need relays. Thing was, we couldn't replicate that kind of tech… err, completely? We couldn't leave our galaxy. For a time we didn't want to. The races we had discovered had all kinds of riches and goods, things that would benefit us. The best part was, with our population rapidly growing, and our technology so vastly superior, we could invade any planet we wanted with almost no formidable resistance. Our casualties were restrained to our wounded rather than our killed. Our only true enemy were the Yamerains. They looked similar to you humans, actually."

"They put up a fight?" Riley asked.

"To put it mildly," Rae chuckled. "At that point, we had only faced stone aged races, so we were essentially bringing tanks, bombs, and guns to a sword fight. It was a slaughter then. With the Yamerians, we had an enemy who was in the early stages of discovering space flight. They had just managed to land two males onto their moon. We invaded then, seeing massive amounts of natural resources there. From what I understand, they reacted viscously. Veterans from previous campaigns were suddenly facing an enemy with weapons that could actually _touch _us. They managed to kill the initial probing company. In fact, they slaughtered them. This is the shit that I know about. The company landed right in the middle of one of these people's biggest cities, something that got you popularity points in the fast growing empire. They managed to make it a block before those fucker's had planes flying in, dropping liquid fire on our soldiers."

"Damn," Riley whistled. "I bet you learned your lesson,"

"Yeah, we sure did," Rae agreed. "We didn't lose another woman, but shit did they fight well. We ended up taking a number of their soldier's prisoner to learn their ways of fighting. The bodies of our women were shipped home, where my people mourned them as heroes. That opened our eyes, showed us that we weren't invincible. That company died far from home, without even a prayer sent to the spirits for guidance. That is why our military is so powerful. Because we take tactics from every military we have ever seen, included yours, use them against you, and _we win_. We have an army with an unbreakable spirit. Trust me, I know spirit. Or at least how to br…" Rae glanced nervously at Rowena and closed her mouth.

"Earlier you said something about a caste. What was that about?" Bianca asked.

"Our society is split up into a number of castes," Rae explained. "The highest level consists of religious leaders and families. Then it goes governmental, education, commerce, military, and then the common people."

"Which one were you?" Riley asked.

"Well, I was born into the military caste," Rae responded. "Depending on what caste you were born to, that is where all of your education is centered around. All I was taught centered around tactics, fighting, military history, hell, I learned to fire a rifle when I was ten. For humans that may not seem like much but for us... I was pretty damn small."

"Is Rowena part of that caste?" Bianca asked.

"Yes and no," Rowena replied with a smile. "My mother was part of education. She was a teacher to young children. Because my parents were from different castes, I have a choice to join either one. I think I'm joining the military caste, because that's where all the Ranger's get to train."

"What's that?"

"An explorer basically," Rowena replied. "Because I was born from different castes, I get to choose my job. Those that are born with parents from the same caste get their job's chosen for them."

"Really?" Riley asked. "So you were chosen to be a pilot?" The question was pointed at Rae.

"Well… no," Rae murmured. Her eyes looked far into the distance, and Riley knew she was remembering one of_ those_ memories. "I was uh… well…" Rowena was looking at her father earnestly, as if this was something that she had not heard before.

"What did you do?" Bianca asked. Rae's free hand, previously resting in her lap, was now gently shaking. Rae blinked and looked at her hand with a worried expression. She shook it out, and tucked the hand beneath her.

"I spent some time working for the governmental caste," Rae muttered. "Anyhow, when Renee and I joined, we were given the option of joining this new ship's crew. Renee didn't want to at first. She was so against it… but I made her." Rae ducked her head and didn't speak another word. It seemed as if they had struck a nerve. Rowena kissed her father's cheek and rested her head on her shoulder.

000

A few hours later, Riley and Bianca were snuggling inside the pod on one side, while Rae and Rowena stayed on another. The space was cramped, so Riley and Rae's shoulders would occasionally brush against each other. Riley couldn't find sleep. She was worried about Claire, Ramirez, and June. Where were they? How were they? Riley would have gladly gone out on her own had it not been for the kid. Rowena was still a teenager as far Riley was concerned, and the human knew for a fact that if anything happened to either red asari, Shepard would be up her ass like no other.

"Riley…?" Rae whispered in the darkness. Riley heard her voice crack and the prothean swallow hard.

"Yeah, Rae?"

"My… my job before I was a pilot?" She murmured. "I said I worked for the government. I was an… I was an interrogator. I was trained to uh… to break people." Riley took a deep breath. Yeah. Riley had seen how screwed up people in Rae's former profession could end up. Obviously something that Rae wouldn't want her daughter exposed to.

"Your… your superiors let you change jobs, huh?" Riley asked.

"It was seventy nine years ago…" Rae whispered, either ignoring the question, or not hearing it. "I was walking down Carson Street, downtown New Hilos. I passed the elementary school there. They had these… these big windows for the kids to look out from the play rooms. Recess was the only time kids go to meet others from different castes. That's when I… I saw her. She was wearing a creamy brown sweater, these black pants… She wasn't wearing any shoes. I stood there so long looking at her, this perfection, that the school threatened to call the police. It took about a week before I could work up the courage to ask Renee out. I was overjoyed when she accepted my invitation. We dated for six months, six glorious months. We were so perfect together. But then she found out about my job." Riley pursed her lips in the darkness, not sure what to say.

"The look she gave me…" Rae whispered. "The fear. I swore to change. I swore to do whatever it took to quit, whatever it took to keep her at my side. I had enough years torturing under my belt that they gave me a relocation. I was trained to fly. That seemed to calm her down. When I… when I proposed to her… she _hesitated."_

"People hesitate at that kind of question all the time," Riley whispered back, trying to say something to help the red asari. "The vids always make it look so easy. I'm sure it's not."

"You don't understand, Riley," Rae said shakily. "We protheans can only bond once. We bond for life because our first is it. We literally cannot take another."

"How?"

"When we join our minds together in a mating meld," Rae whispered, "Our minds form together like a jig saw puzzle. Think of it like this: We're both the pieces of the puzzle, and we can only fit with each other. Our minds would… reject any one else. Violently. The Ardat-Yakshi strain is still inside us. If I were to join with another, either she would die… or I would." Riley was shocked. Rae was a widow, and at her age? She looked maybe Riley's age at the most. To never be able to find love again? It was the kind of sick romance from the books.

"Rae…"

"I miss her so much…" Rae whispered. "Spirits, I do… but… but I see her everyday in Rowena. As long as I have her, I will never be alone." Riley hated seriousness. She hated unhappiness. That was why she goofed around all the time, never took things seriously. She was no good giving advice. One of the reasons she dreaded ever having kids. Riley sucked it up and reached over. She rubbed Rae's shoulder.

"I'm uh… I'm sure Renee is watching over you right now," Riley whispered.

"That's what I hate about being prothean…" Rae whispered. "I know she's dead, because when one of the partners of a union dies… the other feels it like a knife in the heart… wrenching and twisting… never ending. I don't know how she died, I just know she did." Riley let out a quiet sigh.

"Get some sleep, Rae," Riley whispered. "We'll figure this… _shit_ out in the morning." She heard Rae let out a shaky breath.

"Rowena is the only good thing I've ever created," Rae whispered. "Please… help me keep her safe. _Please…_" Rae sounded so desperate, Riley could only reply,

"I swear it."

000

Riley woke before the others did. The sun was shining, and the clouds were not nearly as thick as they were before. When she climbed out of the pod, she stumbled and fell again. This time, it wasn't the pod that tripped her. Her legs felt wobbly and her head was spinning in all directions. Riley's cheeks bulged, and she rushed around the corner of the pod on all fours. Riley threw up all over the ground, leaving her already empty stomach reeling. Riley sputtered and coughed violently. What was this?

"Shit…" Riley moaned. She panted heavily, searching the ground with her eyes. "Think, Riley, think… what did you get into?" Oh yeah. A gore fest aboard an A.I. vessel, and she even got into a fight with a walking skeleton. Riley groaned and unclipped her shotgun from her back, causing it to fall away and into the grass. Riley continued to breathe heavily, staring at her hands which were flat against the ground.

Riley narrowed her eyes. A red dot suddenly appeared on the ground in between her hands. Riley watched as it slowly rose up her arm, and stopped at her forehead. Riley barely had time to roll out of the way before a sound like thunder erupted from the trees, and a small dust cloud appeared where the sniper's round hit the ground. Riley grabbed her shotgun off of the ground and rolled up to a kneeling position. Almost immediately, her head began to spin. Riley shook it off and scanned for lens flares or red dots. She didn't have to, however, because three men in yellow armor took cover behind some trees and began to shoot. Riley threw upa barrier, half aware that she had taken off her chest plate and gauntlets last night, leaving her with only a bra upstairs.

Riley lifted her hand and popped a singularity amongst the men. They yelped and lifted up and into the air like ragdolls. Riley aimed and fired three successive shots. The men all but exploded under the might of her shotgun.

"I IS RILEY!" The woman chanted. A round pumped into the ground at Riley's feet, causing the woman to jump back amongst the grass. The racket had woken up the others in the pod, and Riley saw Rowena barge out, her head sweeping back and forth, looking for the source of the sound.

"Get down, Rowena!" Riley yelled. Rowena yelped and dropped just in time, a round whistling past her head. "Get a barrier going!" Riley watched Rowena suddenly glow with an outline of red light. Bianca rushed out of the pod next, carrying her pistol, followed by Rae, whose hands were glowing with biotic energy. Both looked ready to fight.

"There's a sniper up there," Riley said rolling over to them, ignoring the dizziness in her head. "Distract him while I move up!"

"Ri-!"

"Do it, Bee," Riley ordered. Bianca glared at her and briskly nodded. Riley didn't wait for another response. She rushed around and into the trees, taking a wide arc up a rise and through thick bushes. As she dashed through the trees, head spinning and legs threatening to give out at any moment, Riley heard the sounds of biotics and a pistol firing back at the clearing. Riley ran higher up through the trees, dashed behind a rock, and scanned the area with her eyes. She saw the sniper huddled at the base of a large tree, a camouflage ghillie suit around his armor. Riley jumped over the rock and rushed the sniper at a dead sprint. That was her mistake. The sniper rounded and the barrel was aimed right at Riley the same time she rose her own shotgun.

Two gunshots sounded through the woods, and two people fell to the ground. Riley was stunned. Wait… she had been hit? She gurgled in her throat as blood seeped through her mouth. Her hands wrapped around the hole in her neck, trying to stop the gushing blood. Riley's eyes were wide with shock. It didn't hurt… it was like… being under water… and trying to breath beneath the surface. All sound was muffled, all light was somehow dimmed. She was barely aware of the sound of rushing feet. Yellow armored men appeared above her, one of which, a medic, stooped down to her, and began to say something. A flash of blue sent the men sprawling, and Riley saw Bianca roaring like her krogan father. Things went dark for a time, then Riley felt herself being carried. Bianca was… was she crying? Riley could only feel her soft lips on her forehead. She saw more asari… another… another red one? Talking urgently with Rae and Rowena. And… a kid. A familiar looking asari… Standing in the sunshine, looking down at her. Sunshine… Where had she heard that before?

000

Inna and Cilla had arrived just in time to see the human woman, a 'Riley,' fall from a gunshot. When Cilla's medic had tried desperately to help Riley, a crazed asari commando biotic charged into the lot of them, sending the medic sprawling with a broken arm. Now, they had carried Riley back to Cilla's ship, where two medics were trying to help the human. Inna tried to banish the image of the blood seeping from the woman's neck and mouth from her mind. Inna was standing behind the medics as they worked on the human, when she heard hurried voices. The red asari adult was watching over Riley's commando girlfriend. Inna left the ship in a hurry and followed the sound of the voices. Inna listened quietly.

"Rowena you're alive!" Cilla breathed. Rowena was back against the side of the ship, glaring at the other girl.

"Yeah, I'm alive," Rowena growled. "No thanks to you."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Cilla asked. "I was so worried about you!" Inna watched as Cilla pressed herself against Rowena and tried to give her a kiss. Rowena shoved Cilla back sharply.

"Ugh!" Rowena spat. "You're so sick, Cilla. You think after what happened I'll just forgive and forget? You left me behind!"

"I was given an order, Row," Cilla said angrily. "From Jusik! I had to get the other girls out, _including_ you! And I didn't mean what I said."

"Oh, you mean," Rowena dropped her voice to imitate Cilla's, "'Rowena! Come on! Don't be such an _idiot! _If you don't leave with me, you'll die just like you're _mother_!'"

"I didn't mean that," Cilla growled. "I had to say something to get you to come with us, to safety."

"Yeah?" Rowena challenged. "And where are the other kids, Cilla? Are they part of your little army?" Cilla ducked her head.

"You don't understand, Rowena," Cilla whispered. "We waited for a call for months. We never got any kind of message. Andraste took off, and Nikki wouldn't stop arguing with me-!"

"And so you left?!" Rowena spat. "And left Tye and Nikki on their own? Tye was two years old!"

"I…" Cilla searched for something to say. "You don't-!"

"No, I don't understand," Rowena muttered. "This is how it has always been with you. You'll take off the first chance you get as long as it benefits you. You left Nikki to take care of her little sister all on her own, so you could come here and play soldier?!"

"You never disapproved of me when we were on the ship," Cilla growled. Rowena glowered at her.

"The minute I saw you leave me behind was the minute I realized how stupid I was to love you," Rowena muttered. "You're a sick, blood thirsty bitch with no care for anyone but-!"

"Dammit!" Cilla snapped, slamming her fist into the side of the ship. "Don't you dare judge me! You were always the teacher's pet, pining for Jusik's attention! You'd do anything to please her, even if it meant making her love you more than her own daughter! Andraste was torn apart half the time, thinking Jusik loved her star pupil more!"

"Don't turn this on me!" Rowena yelled. They both glared at each other fiercely for several moments, before they both dropped their hands and looked away. Cilla placed her hands on her hips and kicked her feet.

"I…" Cilla took a deep, frustrated breath. "I had to get them off of the ship. I can't imagine what happened to you on the Legacy, but imagine what would have happened to Tye? And Nikki, who's half blind."

"And yet you still left them behind," Rowena said under her breath. "Don't deny it, Cilla. You abandoned all of us in your quest for glory."

"Hey, I'm trying to help that asari kid find her dad," Cilla said. "_And_, Inna promised that her mom and dad could find you a way home."

"Home?" Rowena asked.

"Yes," Cilla nodded. "As in the motherland."

"You said 'you'," Rowena whispered. "Why?" Cilla looked down.

"I've spent a year amongst these mercenaries," Cilla said. "I love it in this galaxy. There's nothing left for a kid like me to fight back home. Here, there is always a war going on. Always. I am the Eclipse's most guarded secret. I'm their best soldier. I am living my dream. Well… almost."

"Almost, huh?"

"_You _haven't been there," Cilla said softly. She took Rowena's hips and gently kissed her. "I need you in my life, Row. I need my partner." For a second, Inna thought Rowena was going to give in. But the girl gently pushed Cilla back.

"I'm done with you, Cilla," Rowena said softly. "You're a monster." Rowena rushed away, shouldering past Inna. Cilla spotted the asari and walked over to her.

"What did you do to make her hate you so much?" Inna asked softly. Cilla groaned and grabbed her face in both hands.

"I told her how many mercs I've killed," Cilla mumbled. "Rowena is of the strict belief that anything can be solved with words. I think that's why Jusik liked her so much. Rowena has always been a spoiled brat. She thinks because her mom left that she has some sob story. Well, now she's the only one of us girls who has a parent left, and she still acts as if she's the victim."

"When are we getting to the city?" Inna asked. "We took that detour like you said, and we found the other pod. Now, I want to go looking for my father."

"We're going to, you pumped up little shit," Cilla growled. "Spirits, chill."

"I will not _chill_," Inna said, her voice raising. "Take me to her_ NOW!_" Cilla scoffed at her.

"_Cool your jets_, Blueberry," Cilla said. "I'm the one making the orders around here, not you. The only reason you're here is because I'm on a quest to meet your dad. Which I will."

"Fuck you," Inna growled.

"Hey, if you want me to leave your sorry ass behind, keep talking," Cilla said, her own voice raising. "You think because you killed a few people that makes you some kind of bad ass motherfucker? I've killed hundreds of mercs with my bare hands!" Inna watched her stomp off back to her men, where she began to berate them for sitting around. Inna then made a gesture after the red asari with her hands, a gesture that would have easily given even her father a shock.

_"Red Bitch…"_


	33. Chapter 33 The New Toy

The last thing Shepard remembered before hitting the ground, was the shadow of the ship bearing down on her. Shepard had landed in an alleyway between a clothing store and a mechanic's shop. Not a second later, the A.I. ship exploded into a massive wave of fire. Shepard had blacked out. Now, her eyes were slowly opening, and the first thing she felt was heat.

Shepard's eyes snapped open. She tried to move, but found that she couldn't work her arms or legs. Shepard looked around, trying to get a feel for her surroundings. Judging from how low the ceiling was and the cracks and bits missing in it, she was able to deduce that she was buried beneath rubble. And, judging by the way she rubbed against the rubble as she tried to wriggle out, Shepard realized that her rags had been blown away. She was naked and buried alive.

"Fuck…" Shepard gasped, as she looked to her right and saw fire. A lot of it. Smoke was slowly filling up the cramped space that she was caught in. Shepard was buried right up to her neck in the rubble of the buildings. Shepard saw a few articles of clothing hanging from some bent rebar above her, so she knew that the clothing shop was the building that had toppled over.

"Well…" Shepard moaned. "I've been in worse situations…" Shepard gently formed a barrier of biotic energy and created a pocket of air between herself and the debris that covered her. The slightest movement from the barrier caused dust to trickle down from above, showering Claire in dirt. Shepard finally eased herself out and crouched. Her body was red and sore, having spent the night rubbing against concrete. Shepard rubbed her sore chest and eyed the fire with anxiousness. The smoke was getting thick now, and Shepard realized it getting harder to breath. Shepard knew what to do, however. She created a ball of biotics in her hand, and watched the edges of the rubble, where the smoke wafted against it. Shepard narrowed her eyes, straining to see. There. She watched as a small cloud of smoke was sucked out through a hole in the ceiling, not three inches over her head. That meant wind, and a way out.

"Hopefully I'm not too deep," Shepard whispered. She took as deep a breath as she could in the pocket of rubble, and focused her energy into her hands. She placed her palms flat to either side of the hole that the smoke had been sucked out of. Small tendrils of blue light began to creep out from her palms, wrapping around the slab of rubble above her. Shepard snarled, and stretched her arms up and forward.

A shower of dirt fell, covering Shepard from head to toe, as the slab was sent flying through the air, letting in blinding light. Shepard biotically jumped out of the hole and landed in the street, narrowly missing a patch of fire. Shepard covered her eyes, the cool air and ease of breath a goddess-send. The cool air kissed Shepard's sore skin, and slowly Shepard's eyes adjusted to the light. When she did, boy did she have a sight before her.

The city was a massive pile of shattered glass, torn rubble, and rifts in the ground. The streets were ripped open as if by an earth quake, avenues jutting up into the sky, roads dipping into the ground. A few buildings more or less survived, but they were few and far between. The mechanic's shop was still standing, but it's front wall had collapsed, revealing the front office. Fires burned heavily in some areas, and geysers of water were flying up from busted fire hydrants. Water. Shepard swallowed painfully her parched throat. She rushed forward and

plunged her face into the water. The contact was utterly amazing. The cold of the water stunned her, but the dirt was being swept off of her nude frame. The dirt seeped from Shepard's choppy red hair, and the water cleaned up her cuts and bruises.

"Goddess…" Shepard moaned. She threw her head back, water from her hair flying out. "That's nice! Shit…" After several minutes of the luxury, Shepard crossed her arms over her breasts, shivering hard. The cold temperature of the water quickly turned to freezing. She needed clothing. Luckily, there seemed to be a variety of clothing strewn about from the blast that blew up the clothing shop. Shepard began to shuffle around the ruined street, shifting through piles of singed clothing. Shepard picked out a pair of baggy, olive drab cargo pants, thick brown socks, tan combat boots, and a burgundy colored long sleeve shirt that clung tight to her body. Shepard also managed to find some boy shorts and began to slip her new clothes on once she was more or less dry. The warmth they provided was nice, and the sunshine from her escape was slowly being covered up once more by rain clouds.

"More rain…" Shepard muttered. Decked out in her new clothes, she decided to check out the mechanic's shop first. She knew that Inna had landed well away from the blast, as far out as the mountains. She had to find transport to be able to go and find her and the others. Even the stripper. Honestly, Shepard didn't know what all that was about. Of all the people Inna could choose to travel with, she chose a stripper? If Shepard remembered correctly, Inna hated the idea of asari showing off their bodies for money. But then, Inna wasn't at all how Shepard remembered her. Was it possible for someone to age so much in so short a time?

"What would Mom think?" Shepard asked softly. "Mom…" It had been so many years since Shepard had seen her Mom. She often wonder how she was doing… Lessus was a hard place to live.

Shepard hopped into the mechanic shop, climbing over a shattered window sill. The front desk was small, white, and topped with scattered pens and styluses, with a shattered console. The front room was small, with a tile floor and shattered lights. A door separated the room from the rest of the shop. Shepard trudged through a pile of rubble and pushed on the door. It didn't budge. Something on the other side was blocking it. Shepard pressed her shoulder to the grey door and strained against it. A loud scraping noise filled the room as Shepard forced her way through the door.

Shepard stumbled as the door unexpectedly swung in, and she was sent falling onto her hands. Shepard shook her head and eased herself to her feet. Her body was still sore to the touch; her cuts and bruises throbbed and stung with every quick move. By the time Shepard had collected herself, she was ready to sit back down. No. No, she would not sit down. She didn't sit down when the star child had given her those bull choices on the crucible deck, didn't sit down when her crew had been kidnapped by the collectors, didn't sit down when she found out she had bombed her own men on Torfan, and she surely did not sit down when she met her mother in the Boarding School.

000

_"We've hidden the body," the woman whispered. "The Carly girl was a no one. She had no family. No one will miss her. You've paid a great sum of money to cover this up." Hannah Shepard looked properly bedraggled, her eyes dulled with dark circles residing beneath them. Her auburn red hair was slightly messy, stray hairs sticking up from the bun. Her alliance uniform was ruffled, her sleeves rolled up._

_"She received a proper burial, yes?" Hannah asked softly._

_"Yes, she is buried amongst the flower garden, a place she and Claire often visited on sunny days," Caroline replied. "Claire was present. She is taking the death of her friend very hard."_

_"You know she killed Carly with-?"_

_"Biotics," Caroline nodded. "Yes. Not only does your daughter possess a heart filled with hate… she has that kind of power. She just woke up; the two of them had been sleeping in the same bed. Carly had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. I'm afraid… there was not much left to bury." Hannah dropped her head with tightly squeezed eyes. She and Caroline were looking through a two way mirror at Claire, who was sitting pitifully at a table inside a small room. Claire looked every bit as tired as her mother did. The glass window that the girl sat behind was bullet proof and the walls were several inches thick. She was currently in a solitary confinement room for patients who posed danger to others. Claire had been locked up for three days. Three days since she had woken up in a blind rage and felt her sweet Carly lying beside her. Three days since Claire had lifted Carly into the air with her biotics and tore her limb from limb. The sea of blood that had showered the fifteen year old had stained the walls, her clothes, and the bed sheets. Carly, her best friend, her ray of hope, her lover of a week, was gone now._

_"I shall be going in to see her now," Hannah said quietly. She went to grab the door, when Caroline's arm shot out and caught her._

_"Biotics are really nasty…" Caroline said. "A shame if someone were to hear about that…"_

_"I've already paid you, madam," Hannah growled._

_"You paid for us to keep Carly's death under wraps," Caroline pointed out with a sneer. "You never said anything about Claire's… abilities…" Hannah's hands clenched into fists. This vile woman! These were the people that Hannah had given her baby girl to? All they wanted was money, not to help children. And yet… Hannah couldn't take her daughter back in. She couldn't balance out life at home, taking care of her daughter's anger, and shipments all at once. Not with the current heated batarian presence around humanities colonies. It was beginning to look like war. Not like First Contact. This time, both sides knew what the other was capable of._

_"You will receive an extra five percent, no more!" Hannah spat, wrenching her hand away. "Extortionist…" Hannah turned her back to the smirking pear-shaped woman. Hannah took a deep, resolving breath, and slowly pushed her way inside._

_"Mommy!" a voice cried out. Hannah's eyes shot wide, as her daughter hugged her fiercely. Hannah tensed up with fear, yes fear of her daughter. It took Hannah a few heart_

_pounding moments to pull herself together and timidly wrap her arms around her trembling daughter._

_"Shh… Shh… Hush, my love," Hannah whispered. Claire gently sobbed into Hannah's chest. She hadn't grown much since Hannah had last seen her face to face, a trait that all Shepard's had. They were just short people. Hannah sat down on the floor of the room, Claire curling into a ball on her lap. "It's okay…"_

_"I-I-I didn't mean to!" Claire wept. "I loved her, Mommy! I loved her!" Hannah swallowed with effort, and gently stroked her daughter's hair. It was all so wrong. Why? Why had Claire been born this way? No mother should be this afraid of her daughter. No mother should have nightmares about their child coming and killing them in their sleep._

_"It wasn't your fault Claire…" Hannah whispered, even though she didn't mean it. "It wasn't your fault… Mommy's here… just… just calm down…"_

_"C-calm down…?" Claire asked softly. Hannah's breath hitched, as Claire slowly raised her head and their eyes met. A blue ray of light, almost like lightning, dashed across Claire's eyes so fast that Hannah barely caught it. The light traced across the blood shot veins and filled her irises like a liquid. As the light flickered away, it left behind something gruesome. Claire's soft, wet eyes narrowed. Her lips pulled back over her pearly white teeth. Hannah's heart stopped._

_"Did you just ask me to calm down…?" Claire breathed, barely loud enough for Hannah to make out what Claire had said._

_"Y-yes, Claire, please-" Hannah watched as Claire's suspicious face was covered up by a look of utter fear, tearing at Hannah's already frail heart. Claire's fiery red hair was… waving. Waving as if caught in the wind. The shoulder length locks of hair drifted lazily in the invisible force. Her sharp, green eyes reflected the lights from above them, and even her freckles seemed to glow._

_"Take me home, Mommy," Claire whispered. "I wanna be home with you. I want to be a family again. Please take me home Mommy… please take me home…"_

_"Claire…"_

_"Don't you love me, Mommy?" Claire asked, her voice cracking mid question. Hannah's eyes welled with tears, obscuring her vision. She paused, only for a moment, a mili-second. That pause was her only mistake, but it was enough._

_"I… I love you, Claire…" Hannah choked. She prepared to say, 'but you have to stay here,' when a slightly deeper voice than her daughter's muttered,_

_"Liar…" Hannah wiped her eyes clear and gasped. Claire's hair was whipping about her head like snakes, her green eyes were glowing blue. Her freckles were glowing like stars on her face, and the air had a metallic taste. Suddenly, the air became hard to breath, and Hannah gasped for oxygen frantically, having no idea what was happening. Hannah fell back, banging her head against the wall. Her vision darkened, and her eyes began to roll up. Claire was standing_

_right above her head, looking down at her with cold, dark, emotionless eyes. Hannah could only just see that her daughter's fingertips were glowing softly._

_"C-c-claire…" Hannah choked. "Claire…"_

_"Feel that pressure in your head…?" Claire asked darkly. "I could rip apart the blood vessels in your brain, killing you instantly." Hannah felt an immense pressure in the front of her skull. It was getting worse and worse… Hannah felt as if her head was going to blow up like a watermelon. Claire was killing her. Just like in her nightmares. Where was that Caroline woman? Was she watching this? Suddenly, Hannah gasped. She felt air fill her lungs, the pressure in her head disappear. Hannah doubled over and began to cough. Claire backed away, and resumed sitting at the table. She lowered her head, and her hair fell over her dark eyes. She didn't speak a word as Hannah tried desperately to recover. Whatever Claire had done to her, it had had a lasting effect. While the pain in her head was gone, her vision was blurred. It took her several minutes to manage standing up. Hannah was trembling with fear, still shocked at the power her daughter had. She tried to take a few steps forward, to touch her daughter's shoulder, to reason with her._

_"Claire-?" Suddenly, Hannah felt a sharp smack to her left cheek, sending her careening into a wall. Hannah gasped in pain, and watched as the biotic energy in Claire's hand dissipated. Claire's hand resumed its place in her lap._

_"Go home," Claire whispered, her eyes still obscured by her hair. "Or I'll hit you harder." Hannah clutched her cheek and slowly rose to stand. She placed her free hand on the door knob, once last spark of bravery blinking in Hannah's fast beating heart._

_"I love you," Hannah whispered. The words seemed to come out of her mouth in slow motion, like she was talking into molasses. Suddenly, there was a terrible grating sound of Claire's chair grinding against the hard ground. Claire was standing, her eyes alive once again with energy. She slammed her palms onto the table with a loud smack. Hannah watched as the table began to crumble like paper under Claire's might._

_"LIAR!" Claire snarled. "I HATE YOU!" The desk was raised into the air, and Hannah hurled herself through the door to escape the missile. Hannah slammed the door shut, finding the hallway empty. Hannah turned and saw Claire banging her fists against the two way mirror, as if she had been able to see right through it. Her face was filled with utter rage._

_"I HOPE YOU DIE!" Claire wailed. The bullet proof glass cracked under a fist. Hannah slid up the back wall, and took one last look at her daughter. "I HATE YOU! YOU'RE NOT MY MOTHER! YOU NEVER LOVED ME! NEVER! HE DIED BECAUSE OF YOU! DADDY'S DEAD BECAUSE OF YOU!" Hannah fled the hallway, running from the curses and screams that chased her. She wouldn't see her daughter again for another eighteen years. For eighteen years, those three last words would ring in Hannah's ears. Three words, the last Hannah would hear from Claire on that day._

"I'LL KILL YOU!"

000

Claire took a deep breath. That had happened so many years ago. Claire looked down at her palms, cut and bruised.

"The things I've done with these hands…" Claire whispered. "I've beaten my daughter with them… slaughtered batarians with them… tortured with them…" Claire's voice dropped. "Torfan… men… women… ch… chil…" Claire snapped her eyes open. She collapsed back to her knees and buried her face in her hands.

"I need help…" Claire croaked. She let out a sob. "I'm losing it, I'm losing it…" Claire balled her fists in her hair and tugged. She hadn't felt this hopeless since Liara had rejected her on Ilium. But she couldn't give in now. She would get her baby home, then she would figure this all out. Even if it meant seeing a shrink. The thought of hurting her family scared Claire more than anything else.

The red haired woman picked herself up off of the floor for a third time and looked around the shop. The place was covered with a layer of dust, from the many tool boxes and machines to the lone car sitting in the middle. Claire sighed at the sight of the vehicle. It was gutted. The seats were gone, the engine was in pieces on the floor, and the windows were shattered. Claire rounded the demolished vehicle and saw an additional garage door on the far wall. The entire place smelled of grease.

Shepard grabbed the chain and yanked down. The garage door lifted up with a loud rattling sound that seemed to echo on for ages. Light poured into the dark space, and Shepard winced. Inside was something that Claire hadn't seen for decades.

It was a dirt bike. A large, olive drab, 250cc dirt bike. It had thick, black tires meant for cruel environments, and it's frame and parts made of the toughest metals. Claire remembered learning to ride them back in the marines. Even after all this time, dirt bikes were still considered the most reliable vehicles out there. They had been discontinued before the reaper war, however, sometime during Claire's hunt for Saren.

Claire approached the relic, seeing the keys on a small workbench to the right. On the work bench near the keys, she also found a pair of aviator sunglasses, riding gloves, and a blow torch. Shepard snatched up the keys and returned to the bike. She let out a soft breath as she eased onto the vehicle. She plunged the key in and turned. She held down the clutch and flicked the fuel switch to 'ON.' She placed her right foot on the starter peg and brought it down with as much force as she could. The dirt bike roared to life, filling the shop with noise. Claire felt the bike rumbling beneath her, purring and as eager as she was. Claire shut the bike off and hopped back to the work bench. She pull the gloves on, slid the aviators over her eyes, and went back to her new toy.

After a few minutes of lugging the vehicle out of its prison, Claire had the dirt bike on the street. When she first started to look for a vehicle, she hadn't expected to find this. She had very happy memories of riding. Claire took a deep breath and hopped back on. A few seconds later, the bike was ready. Claire figured she had a full tank of gas judging from the meter.

"I'm taking you home," Claire mumbled, rubbing the bike affectionately. Claire leaned forward and raised herself up in a stable stance. She revved the new toy and could have sworn the engine sounded like it was laughing. Claire tore down the barren streets of the once populous city, in search for her Sunshine.

000

A/N: "I could rip apart the blood vessels in your brain, killing you instantly." Who can guess where that is from? Anyone who does gets a virtual lovin.'


	34. Chapter 34 The Butcher of Torfan

A/N: After careful consideration, I decided that I wanted to do a mini-story dealing with Claire's enlistment with the Alliance, her trial by fire on Torfan, and how she was given an N7 commendation. This has been something I have been working towards ever since the first Claire flash back. This is also a good way to deal with a bit of writer's block. So, be prepared for upcoming gore, angst, and insanity. Side note: This Shepard may be considered a teensy bit AU, because her biotics are immensely strong for a human, not unlike Jack's. In the future, perhaps much later, I would like to do the Citadel DLC where Claire faces off her equal. So without further ado, _The_ _Butcher of Torfan_.

000

"It's been a pleasure, Ms. Shepard," Caroline said mildly. The outgoing office of the 'Boarding School' was well lit and smelled of antiseptic. The files on Caroline's desk were prim and proper, not a centimeter out of place. The vile woman, that Claire hated so much, sat in her cushy chair, her hands clasped on the oak desk before her, a disgusting smile on her face. "The white and blue tiled floor made the room slightly chilly, but remaining warmth vacated thanks to the figure sitting on the opposite side of the desk: the red haired girl herself.

Claire was no longer a mere girl. Her form had matured, her green eyes more beautiful. Despite living in a comfortable asylum for so many years, she was strong, a perk that came with having such powerful biotics. Crazy Claire, as she was called even here, had a dark look on her face. Her shoulder length red hair crept down to her shoulders, her freckles stood out across her nose. Her hair shadowed her eyes, and Caroline could just see the green orbs in the darkness. Claire was quite skinny despite her strength, for she barely ate anything. Just enough to keep her from looking too bony.

The eighteen year old sat in a hard, plastic chair meant for first graders, a small backpack resting at her feet. Seeing as she had no other clothes, and no relatives to come for her, she had been given clothes. A grey tank top, a pair of underwear, socks, sneakers, and dusty brown pants that looked about two hundred years old. The pants had several pockets on either side. Unfortunately, that was all she had.

With Claire of age, finally, she had been able to sign herself out of the asylum. With the news breaking out across the 'care center,' if someone generous chose to call it that, Claire had received no congratulations form any of the nurses or teachers. There was, however, a happier feeling in the air amongst the staff. Claire hated them so much.

In fact, there were not many people in the world that the redhead did not hate. No one liked her, not that Claire gave them any chance to. Was it her fault that she was angry? Was it her fault that she would become the most violent woman on Earth without as much as a warning? Was it her fault that she had never had anyone, truly love her? That was a lie. Her father had loved her unconditionally. Rambo had. But Daddy was dead, and Rambo had died at Claire's hands. Claire had thought that her first crush, Carly had loved her. But she had DPD. Would Carly have even given Claire the time of day had she been born normal? Normal.

The entire staff of the Boarding School knew that Claire had biotics. Everyone did. But they kept their mouths shut due to Caroline's firm word. Caroline knew that as long as she kept Claire's abilities under wraps, she could milk as much cash from Hannah Shepard as possible. Caroline would be the only one sad to see Claire leave. She would lose her little money maker. Claire hated her.

"Such a shame to see you go," Caroline continued, having not achieved a response. Claire sat stock still, looking at her hands situated in her lap. Caroline could see Claire's lips set stonily on her face, and the plump woman knew that Claire was shredding her alive with her eyes beneath that fiery red hair. Caroline waited several moments for a reply from the eighteen year old, but finally realized that there was nothing she could do, short from wailing on her, to get a response. Caroline sighed exaggeratingly, in one last ditch effort for a response. Seeing none, she simply quipped,

"Goodbye, Shepard."

With that, Claire grabbed her bag, carrying her medical records and birth certificate, and stood up. She never raised her head, and her movements were fluid. She had to visit one more place before she left.

000

Claire had taken a path that led from the front doors, and looped around the side of the compound. The path was lined with nice flowers and rock gardens. Birds chirped in the summer air, and the grass was slightly wet with morning dew. The sun was just reaching its rightful place amongst the upper most clouds, soothing Claire's bare arms. The red head had her hands stuffed in her pants pockets, her sneakers clopping against the path's cobbled surface.

As Claire rounded the compound, she reaching the garden. The flowers, ferns, and ponds seemed to stretch on forever. The sound of the water trickling from their fountains had always felt good in Claire's ears. That and her friend's laughter. Claire passed a few of the other patients, busy at work, mumbling to themselves as they planted more flowers. Each one of them whimpered as Claire passed, and seemed to huddle up amongst the flowers. Claire didn't even look their way.

Claire reached the rock after a few minutes of walking. It was a shiny slab of granite, with words engraved in the top. It read, _'Carly Haywood. 2155- 2168.'_ Claire's dark eyes shimmered, her lips grew even tighter, and her hands clenched into fists.

"I'm finally getting to leave, Carly," Claire whispered with a hoarse voice. "After all those years… through all that guilt… all that pain… I can finally leave. I tried to call Han… Mom. I tried to call mom, but… she didn't answer." Claire swallowed down a sob. "Why would she answer? I let the anger control me the last time she saw me…" Claire clenched her eyes shut as tears poured down her face. "I... I… I'm so sorry, Carly… You know… know I loved you, right? So much…" Claire let out a shaky breath. "I know what you would say, Carly. I know what you would say… you'd say, 'It should be me that gets out anyway.' But, Carly… it should have been you… you should have been the one to leave here… at least… at least…" Claire clenched her jaw as tightly as she could. "At least one of us got to leave." Claire stooped down and placed her palm on the tombstone of her beloved Carly, and focused. She closed her hand, leaving only her index finger extended, and activated her biotics.

She dragged her finger across the surface of the stone, slowly grinding through it. It was like dragging her finger through warm snow. Her finger looped and created words. When Claire opened her eyes, she stared down at her handiwork. On the stone, the words now read,_ 'Carly Haywood. 2155- 2168. Loved by the Loveless.'_ Claire stepped away from the stone and swallowed once more.

"Goodbye, my Sweet," Claire whispered through a cracked voice. The auburn-haired girl turned, and walking along the lonely path back to the front. She trudged through the hot parking lot out front, received a wave from one of the security men… Claire didn't even glance at him. Claire merely waited as the front gate to scrape open with a loud screech. Claire took a deep breath, and took a step out into the world. The dirt road leading off into the woods looked no more different than when she had entered all those years ago. The woods were thick, and over the tops, Claire could see the outline of the city.

Claire looked back over her shoulder, to see Caroline standing at the front steps. She had her sausage fingers clasp in front of her, a sneer printed across her face. This was obviously a thing the whale-woman had seen before. A patient trying to leave, only to turn back at the last second out of fear of the real world. Claire's face once again darkened, her hair covering her eyes. Claire's hands, deep in her pockets, gently began to glow blue. Claire's lips pulled into a thin, miniscule smile as Caroline doubled over. Shepard had perfected her reave abilities on the other patients, bringing them to within an inch of their lives before she released them.

Caroline was writhing on the ground, blood falling from her head from the fall. Her hands were around her own neck, as if trying to beat off invisible hands. Claire tightened her fingers, as if feeling Caroline's brain, throat, and bones beneath them. Claire stood just out of the gates, watching as a few doctors ran to the plump woman's aid. They were frantically trying to pull her inside, trying to get her to somewhere safe, but every time they would take Caroline's arms and legs, Claire would mutter,

"Ah, ah, ah," And pull the woman further into the parking lot. Caroline's face was beginning to turn a wonderful purple. Claire knew she had only a few seconds. A few security guards ran to Caroline's aid. No one noticed the red head across the parking lot. Claire slowly opened her hands, and Caroline began to breathe normally. The plump woman coughed and sputtered all over the pavement, her eyes burning holes into Claire's form, fading away amongst the trees.

000

"Any fresh catches, Baxter?" The man laughed.

"No more than yesterday," Baxter replied. "Or the day before that, or before that, or before _that_…" The two marines sat at their desks in the Alliance Marine's recruitment office. The too veterans had been given the 'opportunity' to recruit fresh volunteers. The summer so far had been long, hot, and vacant. It seemed as if no one wanted to fight the good fight amongst the stars.

"Fuck, man," The other marine sighed, pulling a soda from the mini fridge under his desk. He tossed it to Baxter, before grabbing another one for himself. "Ain't this the most boring fucking job?"

"I'd be a lying SOB if I disagreed with you," Baxter answered. "I never should have taken this job… all I can do is stare at your fuck-ugly face all day." The marines both laughed.

"Tell you what, Bro," The other marine said, popping his can of soda with a hiss. "If you can get one person to sign up before shifts' over, I'll be buying the drinks for the rest of the month." Baxter scratched his chin carefully.

"All the drinks I want?" Baxter asked pointedly.

"Aye."

"Done. You are on, Bro."

000

The walk through the woods had been rather uneventful. Claire had been passed by a low flying vehicle, the driver leaning out and asking,

"Need a lift, pal?" Claire had not looked at him, keeping her pace firm. The man had taken off a few moments later, blowing hot wind onto the already steamed girl, triggering a short rage. Claire had fired biotic energy balls at him from the ground, only to miss in her blind rage. After a few hours of ripping out trees with her biotics, she had calmed down and continued on her way. She had reached the city by noon, sweaty and dirty. Claire tromped through the city streets, ignoring the looks from passing bystanders. Claire seemed to have an aura of depression around her, a storm cloud over her head… everyone gave her a wide berth.

Claire, just out of the top of her vision, saw a park. The grass was yellowed and dead, wood chips littered the ground, a few discarded toys were strewn about in random positions. The best part about the park, was the swings. Claire remembered swings. There hadn't been any swings at the asylum…

Claire approached the swing set, and plopped herself down. Gently pushing her feet back and forth, the swing began to rock her. Claire's lips gently pulled into a small smile under her darkened face. She must have looked creepy, an eighteen year old gently swinging in a lonely park. That did not stop Claire's visitor.

"Hi!" A tiny voice quipped. Claire's eyes snapped up beneath her hair, to see a little girl dressed in a white shirt and blue skirt, smiling brightly. She had jet black hair and blue eyes, perhaps four years old. This little girl had no idea what kind of person Claire was.

"Hello there…" Claire said softly, her voice a tad deep and raspy.

"My name is Lily!" The little girl giggled. She then raised a stuffed bear to Claire. "And this is Smokey!" Claire didn't take her hands off of the chains of the swing. "What's your name?!" Claire's lips pulled back into a toothy grin, the shadows over her eyes deep and black.

"My name is Claire…" The woman replied. "Where's your Mamma?"

"Over der!" Lily giggled, turning and pointing. Claire's eyes raised to see a woman, looking like an adult version of her daughter, standing stock still. Her eyes were frozen on Claire, who was grinning evilly at her daughter. Claire let out a small chuckle.

"You wanna know a secret, Lily?" Claire whispered. Lily let out a tiny gasp.

"Uh huh!" Lily nodded eagerly. "Tell the secret!"

"You sure you wanna know, Lily?" Claire asked, never taking her eyes off of Lily's mother. "You got to swear to never tell anyone else, okay?"

"Swears it!" Lily proclaimed valiantly, extending her left pinky to Claire. The red haired woman locked pinkies with Lily, and sneered at the mother, who was frozen with fear. Claire leaned in close, and whispered in Lily's ear,

"I… am a magician." Lily's gasp was sure to have been heard by her mother, for Claire heard the mother gasp as well.

"Really?!" Lily gasped with big, round eyes. "No way!"

"Wanna see a magic trick?" Claire asked softly. Claire gently activated the biotics in her fingertips. Lily was bouncing with excitement.

"I wanna see some magic!" Lily cried. Claire let out another soft chuckle at the girl's eagerness.

"Place Smokey on the ground there," Claire whispered. She nodded to the grass at Lily's feet. The little girl wrinkled her nose.

"Won't he get all dirtied?" Lily asked. Smokey was a brown bear with a black tie around his neck. He had a missing eye, and looked like he hadn't been washed in weeks.

"No more than he already is, Lily," Claire replied gently, her voice silky and hypnotizing. The little girl bent down, and place Smokey on the grass. Claire smiled and focused. Suddenly, Smokey sprang up and began to dance around on his legs. Lily gasped with fright and wonder, jumping out of the way of the seemingly alive toy. Smokey tap danced along the grass, little wisps of blue light fading away from his paws. Lily's sudden fear turned to excitement, and she giggled and clapped her hands.

"Magic, magic, magic!" Lily chanted. Claire flicked her fingers, and Smokey jumped into Lily's arms, who was hugging him immediately. "So cool!" Lily rounded on Claire, and desperately asked, "_How'd you do it?!_" Lily's mother was shocked, having no idea that Claire was a biotic, or having enough knowledge to point them out. Claire grinned beneath her hair, and chuckled,

"It's a spell."

"Tell me the spell!" Lily pleaded. "Please, please, please!" Claire gritted her teeth through her smile, and shook her head.

"I can't do that Lily," Claire whispered, her hands tightening on the swing's chains. Lily's expression turned sour.

"Why not?!" Lily pouted, holding Smokey under her left arm. Claire sneered.

"Because…" Claire sighed. "If you do it wrong… this could happen." Suddenly Smokey blew up into a ball of cotton and fur under Lily's arm. Lily gasped in horror as her toy bear literally grabbed its body with its delicate paws, and ripped itself to shreds. Lily cried out as she tripped over her own feet, and fell back onto her romp. The pieces of her beloved toy fell to a heap in her lap. Suddenly, the girl's mother decided to grow a pair, and ran to her daughter's side. The girl was sobbing, holding little tufts of hair in her balled up fists.

"_Smokey!" _Lily shrieked. "Why'd you do that?!" Claire stood up from the swing and lightly walked past the mother and daughter.

"To show you that nothing lasts," Claire growled. "_Grow the fuck up._"

000

Baxter checked his old fashioned wrist watch, a drop of sweat rolling down the side of his face. It was ten minutes to the end of shift. Ten minutes to get someone to sign up, and get him his free beer money. Baxter lowered his hand, placed his hands on the desk in front of him, and began to bounce his leg. He pursed his lips, checked his watch one more time, and focused his eyes on the front door.

"Ten minute's Baxter!" The other marine chanted. "Looks like no free drinks for you!"

"Fuck!" Baxter growled. He hated losing. He especially hated losing to assholes. Baxter jumped up from his desk, and stomped to the front door of the recruitment building.

"Where yuh going, Baxter?"

"If the recruits don't come to me, I'm going to them!" Baxter called back. The marine stepped through the front door, and stepped into a crowd of people, most likely heading home from work. Baxter scanned the groups of passerby's and looked for possible stand outs.

"Too fat… too short… too hairy… not enough hair… blue… too tall… Ah ha!" Baxter spotted her. A red haired, young, fit looking woman with a fierce expression. She's do.

"Oy!" Baxter called, pushing his way through the crowd to the red head. "You, Missus Red!" The girl looked at him, and Baxter faltered. The girl's eyes seemed to burro right through him, and her dark expression was a bit frightening. Still, Baxter wanted his drinks.

"Hello, there!" Baxter grinned, extending his hand. The girl looked down at it, and her pockets were soon stuffed with her hands. Baxter held up both hands in a sign of surrender.

"Cool, cool, I get it!" Baxter laughed. "Look… I happened to see you walking by, a strong looking woman like yourself, and to me, you looked a tad lost."

"Did I?" The red head asked softly, making the marine wince.

"But no need to be lost anymore!" Baxter exclaimed, forcing a grin. "The Alliance Marines will point you on the right path! You'll see all sorts of exciting places, meet all sorts of people, learn new skills and attributes about yourself that even you didn't know…! And best of all-!"

"Can I kill things?" The girl hissed. Baxter paused, his mouth hanging open slightly.

"Eh, what?"

"Can I _kill_ things?" The woman repeated. There was something wrong with this one… but hell, if she was interested…?!

"Hell yeah, you can!" Baxter laughed nervously. "You'll get to fight the Pirates out in the Verge, work with men and woman proudly serving under the Alliance flag…!"

"So…_ I can have a gun?_" The woman asked, Baxter seeing a smile appear on her face.

"You'll learn to shoot all kinds of guns!" Baxter proclaimed. "From pistols to cannons, and everything in between!" The woman sneered at the marine.

"Where do I sign up…?" She asked. Baxter did a mini fist pump inside.

"Well, first I'll need to see the old birth certificate to ensure your of age!" Baxter nodded. "And I'll need to pull up your med records…" Baxter could see the girl's grin falter, and his breath caught in his throat. "But, hey, what the hell? Why bother with some old paper, huh? You wanna kill things?! I'll get you there!"

"Good…"

**_"Just follow me, Miss! Hell, you may become famous one day!"_**

**_A/N: Virtual lovin' goes to Pluh and Yuri-Hime-Chan for knowing where the quote from the last chapter came from. My favorite anime, 'Elfen Lied.' _**


	35. Chapter 35 The Butcher of Torfan Pt 2

"Shepard!" Major Kyle called. "We've got some POW's over the rise here. I want you to take two men and escort the prisoners to HQ. When you're done report back to me."

"Yes, sir!" Claire saluted. She turned and pointed at two young men. "You, you. On me." The two marines nodded and fell into step behind her.

000

She had five batarian prisoners on their knees before her. One of the marines was screaming in her ear, the other had a crazed smile on his face.

"YOU CANNOT DO THIS!" the marine yelled. "They are prisoners!"

"They're fucking batarian's, you bitch!" Claire screamed back. "I've lost twenty-two men and women to them. I HATE ALIENS! All they have ever done is kill us since we got into this galaxy! First Contact, now this?! All of them! My mother extracted Mindoir survivors! We've all seen what they're capable of!"

"They are still prisoners!" the marine yelled back. The third man was sitting on a rock, laughing crazily. Suddenly, he whipped out his sidearm and stuck it to his head. The marine pulled the trigger and his brains splattered all over Claire. She screamed in rage and pulled a massive knife from her belt. The living marine tried to stop her and was stabbed in the throat. He made a deep gurgling noise in his neck, and blood poured from his mouth.

"NO!" Claire screamed. "Johnny! No! I didn't... I didn't... YOU!" Claire ripped her knife from the young man's neck and hurled the batarian to the ground. She straddled him and his bonds came undone. The batarian roared and threw his hands up. Claire brought the knife down, and he tried to grab Claire's wrists. Claire seethed and pushed the knife as hard as she could. At this point, the other batarian's eyes were wide with utter fear. The prisoner struggled to get free, but unlike his comrade, his bonds were holding fast.

Claire pushed as hard as she could, and the tip of the knife edged into the alien's throat. The batarian made a slight coughing sound, and his strength slowly left him. Claire finally overpowered him, and the knife went deep into the alien's neck. His eyes glazed over and blood seeped from him. Claire stood and left her knife in his neck. She drew her pistol.

"Alright motherfuckers!" Claire laughed. Her eyes were wide and she was shaking with laughter. "WHO'S GOT INFO FOR ME?!"

"We won't tell you a damn thing-" A shot rang out and the batarian who had spoken dropped to the ground, his head completely blown apart. Claire rounded on the next prisoner. He didn't look much older than his early teens. He must have been forced into this. The kid looked into Claire's eyes.

"I do not condone that actions of my empire against yours," the batarian said quietly. "I see why you are so filled with hate. Kill me. It is only right after what my people has done. But know th-" Claire shot him in the head and moved on to the third batarian.

"Info now," Claire smiled. When the batarian didn't answer straight away, his eyes darting back and forth, Claire shot him too. Within a few more seconds, the last two batarian prisoners were dead. Claire slumped to her knees and began to sob. She was covered in a mix of batarian and human blood, and her armor had several bullet holes from the previous battles. She looked like death itself. Claire fell over in the sand, and stared up at the sky. The sound of approaching footsteps came hard and fast, but Claire didn't move.

000

Claire's eyes slowly opened, her head spinning and vision blurred. Her arms and legs felt numb, and there was a chill in the air. Claire moaned as a shock wave of nausea hit her. She tried to move her arms but found that something was restraining her. She moved her right leg only to realize it was dangling. Claire waited as her vision cleared, and her eyes narrowed.

Claire was pinned to a large rock wall, with her arms restrained by metal loops above her, and her feet dangling a few feet off the ground. She was completely naked, except for her arms and legs, which were covered in thick, dirty bandages that wrapped around her fingers and the soles of her feet. Claire's hair fell over her eyes as she dropped her head in her wooziness. She was in some sort of cave… that's when it hit her. She was in the tunnels. The damned aliens had dragged her down into their hive! Then, she heard someone speak.

"Look at her…" someone whispered. "She's the one that's been butchering our troops?"

"That's what the report said," someone else muttered. "I stole the info myself, that's her." Claire gazed down at the two batarians from beneath her matted hair. They were both heavily armored, sporting heavy shotguns and their eyes glimmering. Claire's whole being seemed to ignite with fire inside. She hated aliens. She hated them all. Almost as much as humans. Claire gritted her teeth at being chained up for them to sweep their beady little eyes up and down her.

"You're the one that's been cutting us up, huh?" one batarian barked, his meaty hands on his hips. "I seen the shit you been doing to my men. Eyes gouged out, beheaded, dismembered… disemboweled." Claire somehow felt something immensely amusing about the batarian's genuine disbelief that anyone would dare do such a thing to fellow living creatures. Claire began to giggle from beneath her shadowed eyes, and before she knew it, she was roaring with laughter. The batarians both roared, and one asked,

"What's so funny?!"

Claire managed to wheeze out, "You! You… you think I am bad…? Ha! I've seen your handiwork! Rapes, hangings, the enslavement of children… Ha ha! I'm just giving your… 'men'… what they deserve!" Claire erupted into a fit of giggles, and she began to rattle the chains with her wrists. Then… they made their fatal mistake. With the sound of the human's laughter echoing around the dark, damp room, one of the batarians whispered,

"Shit, I knew she was crazy…" Suddenly, the human stilled. Both batarians turned to look at Shepard, her fists clenched. A small voice, beneath that fiery red hair, whispered,

"What did you just call me…?"

"Crazy," a batarian spat. "You're a crazy-!" Both batarians gasped midsentence. Claire's lips gently pulled into a sneer as she watched the batarians drop to their knees. One of them began to gag and claw at his throat. His comrade watched in horror as his friend's guts pulled themselves out of his throat. Intestines erupted from the alien's mouth and wrapped around his neck. The alien's four eyes rolled back, and he fell to the floor with a wet smack, blood streaming out of him.

The other batarian squealed and tried to run. Claire smiled and focused her biotics around his ankle. There was a loud snapping sound, and the man cried out in pain. He was dragged back to Claire's feet by his broken ankle, screaming in pain. Claire forced him to sit upright, and they stared into each other's eyes. Claire's head cocked to the side, her green eyes glimmering in the shadows of her hair.

"Where are my soldiers?" Shepard asked softly.

"P-p-please… I don' wanna die- AGH!" the man wailed as his right arm ripped away from his body and was sent flying across the room.

"WHERE ARE MY SOLDIERS?!" Claire roared from her chained position on the wall.

"AGH, they're all dead!" The batarian wept. "We only kept the major alive!" Claire looked down at the man, begging at her feet. He wallowed like a damned pig. Still, Kyle was alive. She would have to go get him. As for the deaths of her soldiers… well, she hated them. Her thoughts were interrupted by the alien sobbing beneath her. He had a stump where his right arm should have been, and his ankle was twisted in a strange way. Claire once again smiled down at him.

"Hush… your pain shall be over soon," Shepard said tenderly. The batarian whimpered and looked up at the chained demon. The man's eyes bulged, and he screamed. Claire sneered as the man's four eyes splattered in their sockets. The batarian sobbed and his left arm tore away from his body. Claire held her head high and muttered,

"I used to just shoot you pigs… But this is much more fun." There was a wet gagging sound, and the sound of ripping flesh and a sickening squelch. The man's head rolled away from his body. Claire shot biotic energy into the chains holding her to the wall, and dropped down to her knee.

"What was it you called me?" She asked softly, stepping over the batarian. "A butcher? Well… I'm going to slaughter every last one of you damn, dirty pigs… If I'm going to hell… you are all going with me."

000 Claire left the room where she had been restrained and looked down the tunnels. She saw a light ahead, flickering like a candle. There were probably more batarians down there. She heard the laughter of what sounded like a woman, and the giggles of children. Claire's head lowered and she began to walk down the tunnel in the direction of the voices. Her feet padded against the ground, her finger's giving away wisps of blue, sparkling energy. Her feet and legs

were covered in blood from the bodies of her previous kills. While she was very much naked, she figured she didn't need clothes to kill aliens. She just needed her power.

Claire emerged from the tunnel, to find a room filled with people. They all had their backs to Shepard, and they all seemed to be looking at something, even the three children. There were men and woman, both young and old in this large room. The batarians suddenly let loose cries of determination, and raised their left arms to a flag that was hanging on the farthest most wall. Claire knew it to be the seal of the Batarian Hegemony, an upside down trident on a field of black. Claire smiled.

Creating a wall of crackling biotics around the mouth of the tunnel and padding into the room, Claire grabbed a large torch from the wall. Claire pushed her way through the crowd. Suddenly, the crowd was in anarchy, seeing a human walking through them. Some batarians tried to grab her, only to have their limbs flying from their bodies. Claire walked right up to the flag that they had been saluting to, and jumped up onto a pedestal beneath it. She towered over the batarians, all too shocked to attack her at once. Claire grinned down at them and raised her torch to the flag. The batarians cried as their flag burned up.

"You filthy human!" one batarian roared, and jumped at the red head. He gasped as he stopped midair, and was suddenly suspended above his brothers and sisters. Claire laughed as the batarian ripped in half, showering all underneath in blood. Claire laughed maniacally as the batarians tried to run away, but were blocked by a wall of biotics. They pounded against it, but Claire was too strong. Mother's held their children, and the men all grouped together. They charged Claire head on, as if their superior numbers might be able to defeat this demon. Claire roared with laughter as their blood and insides splattered everywhere, showering their wives and children.

"All of you will die!" Claire screamed over the cries of the people at her feet. "All of you! _Rapists, pillagers, pirates, thieves, whores-!_" With every word she ripped another alien apart. Eventually the body parts began to pile up on the floor, and the blood had become a lake on the floor. Claire's laughter turned to fits of anger, and she began ripping up slabs of stone from the floors and crushing batarians with them. Every last one of them died, not one of them in one piece. Every… single… one of them… was ripped apart. Claire roared with fury and slammed her fists down unto the lake of blood, creating a tidal wave of gore. The blood was a sickly black, the chunks of flesh floating in it like a soup. Claire tripped over a body, and fell face first into the blood. She screamed and picked herself back up. She was covered in batarian blood.

Suddenly, Claire heard the sound of fast moving footsteps. There sounded to be several armored men on the way. Claire sank beneath the surface of the blood and pulled a body over her. She waited and watched as a large team of batarians ran into the room, all carrying heavy weapons.

"No!" one of them cried. The batarian rushed to one of the bodies and began to sob. "_My wife!_" Claire smiled to herself. About ten or so batarians were in the room now, and all of them were looking at the bodies in horror.

"Who did this?!" cried one of them, a scrawny looking man.

"You idiot!" another snapped. "It was the Butcher, of course!"

"How the hell did she escape?!" another asked, visibly shaking in his boots.

"Rumor is she's a biotic," another whispered, scanning the room with his weapon.

"Damn right I am," Claire growled, emerging from the blood lake like a serpent. The men, letting loose startled cries, trained Claire in their sights, and let loose volleys of bullets.

"Kill her, kill her, kill her!" one of them ordered, his four eyes wide with alarm. Claire, surrounded in a blue aura, had resumed her dark look. The bullets pinged off of her barrier like bugs on a windshield. Claire stood there, waiting for them to finish. When the sounds of gunfire echoed away, and the red hot barrels of the batarian's weapons steamed, Claire lowered her barrier.

"My turn…" she whispered. Claire's hands erupted in blue light as she snarled. Claire hurled herself at the batarians, whipping her biotics around her body. She punched a man straight through his chest, his heart flying out of his back and smacking a man in the face. Claire grabbed the hole-chested man by the face, and slammed him into a wall, crushing his skull. Claire whipped around and lunged at another. She sank her teeth into his neck, flowed energy into her jaw and ripped his throat open. The alien, stunned, fell back, his hands covering his flowing throat, gagging and drowning in the lake.

Claire dispatched the rest of the batarians in a similar manner, every time her hands, teeth, and feet coming away bloodier and bloodier. Claire dropped to her knees in the pool and threw her hands into the air. She screamed bloody murder, the room crackling with blue light. She had butchered before, but never on this scale. But it felt so good… to just vent her anger.

Suddenly, something popped, and Claire felt like she had been punched in the shoulder. Claire fell back onto her butt, and her eyes blazed with fury. Her eyes gazed down the tunnel, only to see a lone figure. Claire watched in anger as the figure approached, its hips swaying. To Claire's surprise, it was not a batarian that stepped from the darkness. It was an asari. The woman was tall, her form lithe and powerful. She had a hard face, with a scar on her chin. Her eyes were shadows on her teal skin and her crests were short and stubby. The asari dropped her pistol into its holster and stepped barefoot into the lake of blood. She wore a black leather outfit that only went to her ankles, like she had lost her boots. Her hands crackled with blue energy.

"You think your little ability is a show of biotics?" asked the asari, her voice low and raspy. "I'll show you biotics…" Claire felt the hole in her shoulder, grinning at the asari. She plunged her fingers into her skin and fire ignited through her body. Claire gritted her teeth to ignore the pain, as she dug around in her flesh and grasped the bullet lodged in her flesh. She yanked it out with a spurt of blood and flicked it away casually.

"You have no idea what I am going to do to you…" Claire whispered, standing with her head lowered.

"This will be fun…" the asari mumbled. Claire racked her brain for information about the asari species. She knew they had strong biotics, and judging from this one's bust size, she was easily a… matron was it called? She also knew they could get into the heads of their opponents.

The asari was upon Claire with impossible speed, darting left and right, faster than Claire could keep up with. The asari fired a biotic blast into Claire's bare stomach, and the human was sent flying into the far wall, her body cracking it beneath her. Claire fell to her hands and knees into the blood lake and snarled. She snapped to her feet and rushed the asari. Claire laughed and grabbed the woman's arm with her biotics. Claire pulled, and she heard the bones and tendons pop in the woman's shoulder. The arm gave way into a stream of blue blood. Claire laughed maniacally. However, mid heave, something hit her in the stomach. Claire's eyes widened in shock as the asari still came after her. The asari was still fighting, even though she was missing a limb.

"How?!" Claire cried.

"Pain is a mental barrier," the asari sneered, grabbing Claire's throat with her remaining hand. Claire was suspended in the air, looking down at the asari with burning eyes. "Speaking of mental barriers… let's see what's inside, why don't we?" Claire knew what was about to happen. She wouldn't let anyone in her mind. Not anyone. Claire screamed as loud as she could, and with a clap of biotics, the asari was frozen in stasis. Claire knew that a biotic of the asari's age would be able to break out of there in a few minutes. That was long enough. Claire peeled the asari's hand away from her throat and stepped back. She looked at the asari, her eyes half open, and… black. Was that part of the brain thing?

"You don't want to know what's in here…" Claire smiled, tapping her head. She rounded the asari's side, and opened a hole in the stasis field around the woman's stump. Claire looked at the bloody mass where the arm had once been. Claire took a deep breath and raised her left hand. Claire created a point with her fingers and ignited her biotics. "You say that pain is a mental barrier… so… you seem to think that you don't feel pain… let's test that theory." Claire plunged her hand into the woman's stump, turning the bone into powder. The hand went through the woman's shoulder, and lodged itself against her shoulderblades. She heard the faintest cry of anguish from beneath the field. Claire chuckled.

"Are we having fun yet?" Claire asked softly. She ripped her hand back out of the woman's body, and opened the stasis field around the asari's head. The scream that emitted from the mouth of the blue skinned woman was so violent, and in such pain, it seemed to go on and on forever. It rang in Claire's ear. Claire went to the front of the sobbing woman, her stub a waterfall of blood.

"I used to like this vid…" Claire said softly, placing her hand on the woman's shoulder, causing the asari to wail. "It was about an archaeologist that went around the world fighting these guys called Nazi's and stealing back lost treasures… you see… in that vid, this one guy places his hand on this other guy's chest… and rips his heart out. I would always cover my eyes at that part, and my daddy would place his hand over them as well. But… nowadays with all that's been going on… I really wanted to try that."

"Please!" the asari cried. "Mercy!"

"Mercy?!" Claire snarled, placing her hand flat to the asari's chest. "_MERCY?! WHAT WOULD YOU KNOW ABOUT MERCY?!_"

"You're a psychopath!" the woman wept. Claire's look turned troubled.

"No… I am not, madam," Claire whispered, pressing her forehead to the screaming woman, and stroking her cheek with a blood covered hand. "They call me crazy… I've been called crazy as long as I can remember… but I am not crazy. I've read up on psychopaths… I can love… I can be happy… I can be calm… I can be collected… I can enjoy a good book… You see, I have feelings… but… no one seems to care about those feelings… My own mother abandoned me… do you know how that makes me feel?" Claire clasped the woman's head in both hands with loud smacks that echoed around the chamber. "You see… I am not crazy… I am merely hurt. I am merely angry. I am not crazy… I just want to see the galaxy burn."

With that, the woman's head splattered in-between Claire's hands. Claire flicked pieces of brain away from her fingers, and released the biotic field that she had around the corpse. Claire placed a hand around the corpse's back and felt the black leather beneath her palms. Claire ran her hand up the woman's chest, gripped the zipper, and pulled down. Within a few moments, she was inside the suit and unclipping the pistol from its holster at her hip. Claire was covered in gore, and her red hair was matted with black and blue blood. She didn't have a scratch on her, and she had just slaughtered fifteen highly trained batarian pirates, thirty civilians, three of which were children, and one asari mercenary, most likely a former commando doin work for the pirates here. These tunnels went on for miles, and they were filled to the brink with pirates, slaves, and the pirate's families. The Butcher had some work to do.


	36. Chapter 36 The Butcher of Torfan Pt 3

The room was well air conditioned, with an oscillating fan in the left corner. It was warmly lit with a few lanterns on a wooden table in the middle, while the floor was essentially a few wood planks lined up together to keep boots out of the red sand. Maps, documents, and other equipment were strewn about the table in heaps, along with a few cups of ice water. As night was falling, the OP tent was enjoying a needed reprieve from the bustling of strategists and assorted division commanders working their work. Only two men resided in the tent, both seated on rickety wooden chairs, sipping ice water.

The person on the left was a wind beaten looking man with dusty goggles resting on his forehead and short sandy blonde hair up top. He had a five o'clock shadow, and cracked lips, which cradled a cigarette. His eyes were a dull blue. He wore a keffiyeh scarf around his neck, a tan color, and an olive drab military coat. His trousers were a dull, beaten tan color stained red from the sand, and he also were a pair of thick, heavy boots. On his left hip was a pistol holster, carrying his trademark sidearm, the _Dirt Special_. The pistol resembled old, earth revolvers but with the force and power of a modern military round. Its name was spot on, for it had a reputation of knocking anything in its sights to the ground no matter the size.

On the right was an older man, who was clean shaven and grey haired. He had deep set, brown eyes and a pair of thick eye brows. He wore a clean, recently ironed uniform, which was blue and gold, with brass buttons and a row of medals on his breast. Unlike the man on the left's slumped and carefree posture, the colonel was seated with his back erect and his feet planted firmly on the ground.

"When are our… 'Special guests'… supposed to arrive?" the man on the left asked.

"The general left not ten minutes ago to meet them at the landing pad," the Colonel responded stiffly. The man on the left snorted to himself, and readjusted the collar of his jacket.

"This battle's all but won," he sighed, letting his head fall back. "We don't need any help from that council of theirs."

"The general himself agreed for them to come here, Major Lecky," the Colonel grumped. "It seems he believes we _do_ need them." Lecky looked up and propped his legs up on the table. A rustling came from behind, signifying that someone was entering.

"General!" the Colonel barked, rising to his feet, clicking his heels. He saluted and looked straight ahead. Major Lecky gave the General a mock salute and looked at his to followers.

"These them, General Felix?" Lecky asked, motioning to the general with a hand. General Felix was a wide, hulking man with a thick neck and large, callused hands. His Alliance uniform was not as cleaned as Colonel Dixon's, but it was slightly grainy from the sand. Felix had dark, chocolate colored skin and a small family back on earth. A son and wife. Rumor was that the man spent so much time fishing in his home town, that he had pulled his wife out of the lake one late, summer evening.

"Major, Colonel, these are the Council Spectres," Felix responded. Flanking the general was an asari and a salarian. The asari was tall with deep blue skin and purple facial markings. She had violet eyes and long, elegant crests. While she was certainly beautiful, she had a fierce, no-bullshit kind of stare. Her armor was a blue and violet color. The salarian had dark grey skin, black beady eyes, and black armor with yellow stripes. "This is Tela Vasir… and this is Jondum Bau." The general made a sweeping motion with his left arm, and to the council operatives, calmly said,

"This is Colonel Dixon, the commander of my 534th regiment and this is Major Lecky, the commander of a small scout group that is riding along with my division on the push forward."

"Colonel, Major," the salarian nodded. The Major gave him a nod, and the Colonel bowed his head.

"Now if we can all take a seat, we can get started," the General said firmly, gesturing to a pair of chairs. "I apologize for the conditions, but we do not expect to be here much longer."

"Think nothing of it," Bau replied pleasantly, striding to his seat. "Neither do we." The asari Spectre followed Bau around the table gracefully, trailing her fingers across the table, crossing papers and datapads. Lecky watched the woman's eyes darting back and forth, in contrast to her seemingly calm demeanor. Lecky knew that she had just memorized everything that she had seen. He smirked and grinned at her, gaining him a glowering look. When the asari had taken a seat next to Bau, General Felix stood at the head of the table, bracing his arms on the ends of each corner.

"Colonel Dixon, would you be as kind as to hand me the packet?" Felix asked.

"Yes, General," Dixon said with a stiff nod. The man leaned down from his seat, and opened a black, unmarked brief case. He stole a manila envelope from inside, untied the string, and slid out a slim, white packet of paper. He handed it to the General, ignoring the suppressed laughter of Lecky. The General placed the packet on the table in front of him with a loud smack. In large, official print read the words, "Claire Leigh Shepard."

"That is her?" Vasir asked softly.

"The Butcher herself," Lecky nodded, snuffing his cigarette out in the sand.

"Enough of that," Dixon scolded. "We are above petty nicknames in this tent."

"Says you," Lecky countered. "And yet, just yesterday I heard you call me Lucky Lecky." Dixon gave Lecky a smoldering stare, but closed his mouth.

"Enough, you two," the General ordered. "We are in the presence of two of the most renowned Spectres that the council has to offer."

"Think nothing of it," Bau chuckled. "Vasir and I were both military ourselves, we've had our fair share of friendly scraps with fellow comrades. Am I correct, Tela?"

"Sure," Vasir agreed.

"Anyhow," Felix nodded, "to start this meeting off, I would like to know how the hell this woman got into the Alliance, or even how she became an officer?"

"I've looked into how she got in," Dixon replied. "Carelessness with one of our recruiters. Apparently he let her in without going over the proper paperwork with her, such as medical records. However, when I got a copy of the records from a friend of mine from Intelligence, it clearly states her to be a sadist."

"A sadist?" Lecky asked. "Well, that explains a lot."

"Explosive," Dixon added.

"And explosive sadist does not carry oneself with a sulking manner," Bau said. "Their anger is sporadic, could happen at any time. Judging from your… Major Kyle's reports say she is short tempered, hateful, and utterly unforgiving. Why is that?"

"It doesn't matter who you are," Lecky butted in. "Everyone handles situations differently. File says she was dumped in the loony bin by her mom right after the death of her old man. In addition to that, it says she was an outcast during her elementary years, and was almost always in hot water with the principle for fights. Pain and abandonment is pain and abandonment."

"So… what?" Felix asked. "This… Butcher is taking out her childhood anger on batarian prisoners?"

"What of her unit?" Vasir asked, crossing her legs. "A recent report from your Colonel says that they were all wiped out by a surprise attack, with only the Major and Shepard missing."

"Shepard had just led her platoon through a mine field and assaulted a whole other company. By the time the rest of her own company showed up, only Shepard and four other men had survived. They did manage to wipe out the batarians, however, using the mine field to their advantage."

"So she can lead troops," Vasir pointed out.

"Not without losing all of her unit," Bau added.

"While the remainder of the company moved in," Dixon said, "Shepard was ordered to take a number of prisoners back to HQ. They never made it."

"This is something of a pattern," Felix said, looking right at the two aliens. "Every time Shepard has been in control of POW's, she'll make it here with an excuse about how they tried to jump her, and she was forced to kill them."

"So how long has she been butchering prisoners?" Vasir asked.

"She's been on planet for nine months," Felix replied.

"Best part is that she has biotics," Lecky grinned. "Powerful ones at that."

"So we have a loose biotic with sadistic behavior," Felix sighed. "Lecky, what have your scouts been able to find out about her whereabouts?"

"Drag marks lead to one of the tunnel entrances," Lecky replied.

"They took her and Kyle down there?!" Dixon exclaimed. "Well, we can give up hope ever finding them!"

"Have you sent teams into the tunnels before?" Bau asked.

"Of course," Felix replied, "None of them returned. Heart beat indicators built into their armor showed no life signs."

"Those tunnels of theirs are several miles long and about two miles deep," Dixon said, sliding a map towards the two aliens.

"Can we answer how she became an officer?" Felix asked. "There is no way OCS couldn't have picked up behavior like hers."

"Battle field commission, General," Dixon replied. "Eh… you and I signed the papers ourselves." Felix dropped his head and rubbed his eyes.

"She is a very capable soldier from what I hear," Lecky said, "Perhaps the best of her battalion. She just has a few… issues."

"Issues?" Dixon scoffed. "She's got her entire platoon wiped out to take out a small machine gun nest-!"

"-Almost entire platoon-"

"-Even though her platoon was equipped with the best armor our Alliance has to offer," Dixon finished. "That, and she lies to the faces of her superiors, and slaughters POW's without any kind of feeling."

"Well, we have to go get her down there don't we?" Vasir asked.

"You're going down there?" Dixon asked, with a surprised expression.

"That is what we came here for," Bau responded. "Had this been a human vs. human conflict we would not have gotten involved, but seeing as these are POW's of another race, we must make Shepard answer for her crimes."

"Batarian's aren't a member of the Council government anymore," Dixon pointed out. "Not that I am defending her."

"Even when the race is not a member of our government, it is our job to take care of those in the galaxy," Bau replied. Lecky barked a laugh.

"I thought you Council races didn't get into other race's affairs," Lecky chuckled.

"The Council doesn't," Vasir replied. "But the Spectres are always there. Perhaps not at first… but we are always there." Lecky rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Shepard should be tried under our courts, not yours," Felix said firmly. "Not meaning any disrespect of course."

"Worry not, General," Bau said with a curt nod. "We are merely here to ensure that you capture her and try her. When that happens, Tela and I shall be on our way."

"That's correct," Vasir nodded. Felix looked at them both carefully. "Just be lucky that Bau and I aren't a pair of Justicars. Then Shepard really wouldn't be making out of those tunnels alive."

"I do not believe that going down there is-!"

"How much time would we have before your army assaults the tunnels?" Vasir asked. Felix looked her up and down, not backing down from her penetrating gaze.

"We've been training our forces in tunnel warfare for weeks now," Felix answered. "You came just in time to see us delve into the tunnels tomorrow afternoon."

"Well, we don't want to see Shepard caught in the middle of all of that do we?" Bau asked pleasantly, rising from his seat.

"Wait, you're leaving now?" Felix asked.

"In our line of work, it's better to act fast," Bau answered as Vasir stood.

"You just got here!" Dixon protested. "You will be caught in between pirates and highly trained marines!"

"Don't worry, Colonel, General," Major Lecky assured, standing as well. "My boys and I have schematics of the tunnels. I'll go down into the Rabbit Hole with em' and make sure they come back out in one piece."

"You sure you'll be able to keep up with us?" Vasir asked smoothly.

"Sure I'm sure," Lecky nodded easily. He took another cigarette to his lips and stole a lighter from his pockets. He took a long drag and grinned. "My boys should have the _Persuader _fixed up by now, we can travel in that."

"Dammit, no!" Felix barked. "Stand down Major."

"I don't report to you, General," Lecky countered. "My men and I are merely along for the ride. 'Sides, we'll be in and out by sunrise. You get your men rallied or whatever and we'll go get Shepard out of your hair." Lecky clasped his goggles and pulled them down over his eyes. He led the two council operatives out of the tent, easily ignoring the two smoldering sets of eyes that followed him. Hey, he was right. He didn't report to Felix or Dixon… Simon Lecky only answered to Admiral Hackett.

"You said you had a vehicle?" Bau asked.

"That's right," Lecky nodded, speaking around his cigarette. "A stripped down S-class Mako. She's quiet, fast, and reliable. Just can't take to many hits from larger rounds. Like them Harpoon guns the Pigs have…? Kishocks or whatever? They'll tear right through the armor."

000

"Rat, keep the engine running," Lecky said calmly to the Mako's driver, a short haired, small, freckled girl with chocolate brown eyes. "If we're not back by sunrise, you can get going." Rat nodded, taking a drag from Lecky's cigarette, before handing it back to him. She was dressed similar to Lecky, aside from an engineer's helmet that obscured her brown hair. Lecky patted her shoulder and turned inside the Mako. He crouched through the inside and slid open the side hatch with a loud screech. He winced and looked over to where Rat was sitting in the driver's seat.

"Be sure to oil this baby up when you get back," Lecky said softly. Rat gave him a sheepish look and nodded. The girl turned to the two aliens and quipped,

"Your stop." Bau said a small thank you to the driver and followed Vasir out of the vehicle. They stepped out into the hot, red sand of Torfan; even in the starry night sky it was still blazing hot. It had been about an hour ride from the main encampment across the dunes and rocky spires.

Lecky led the two aliens over to a large, rocky outcropping. The boulders stretched high into the air, casting a long, dark shadow onto the ground. Lecky crouched in front of the rock, and looked down. A wide, six by six hole in the ground was hidden at the base of the outcropping. Lecky slipped a hand into his holster and drew his revolver. The weapon gleamed in the starry sky. Lecky flicked a small, practically invisible button on the bottom of the _Dirt Special_, causing a flashlight to shine into the hole.

"Are lights the best option?" Vasir asked dryly, cocking her hip. "We may want to go in their using stealth."

"We're going after the Butcher, Missus Blue," Lecky replied cheekily. "No need to sneak up on the dead. Am I going to have to do the shooting, if we do end up meeting some Pigs?"

"Anyone dumb enough to shoot at a Council Spectre deserves a bullet through the head," Vasir quipped. Lecky's right eye twitched.

"I thought you were here to _stop_ the killing of batarians?" Lecky asked.

"We're here to stop war crimes," Vasir answered. "However, to be honest, I never liked batarians." Lecky looked both aliens up and down, who were drawing side arms.

"I'll never understand you aliens," Lecky grumped, looking back to the tunnel entrance.

"Call it abstract thinking," Bau replied easily. "Shall we?"

000

"Well, shit," Lecky mumbled around his cigarette. After a short, ten minute excursion through the tunnels, they had come across a large, box like room filled with bodies and caked blood. The blood had hardened over the top, almost like a deathly ice rink. Vasir placed a foot down on the lake, and her foot sank in with a wet squelch. The entire room stank with decaying bodies. Limbs, organs, skulls, and all sorts of batarian bits laid around like discarded children's toys.

"She killed all of these men on her own with only human training?" Vasir asked softly.

"Watch it, Blueberry," Lecky muttered. "A human is in the room."

"Do you have the file with you, Tela?" Bau asked.

"Here," Vasir answered, and passed the file from before to her college.

"When did you steal that?" Lecky asked with a hint of surprise reaching into his voice as the man peered down the way that they had come. Both Spectres ignored the human's query and scanned the packet with their eyes.

"Major, the one thing that we look for in our ranks is tenacity," Bau said softly, flipping through the pages. "Let us move on… we must find Shepard before something happens to her."

000

The tunnels were dark, dripping, and claustrophobic. The system was a labyrinth of twists, turns, and angles, with assorted rooms in between. Every so often the trio would come across a room that had once been filled with people. A hospital, a theater, a worship building, armories, etc. Even a residential block, which the three of them were in now. The block was a massive, open hall with stairs going up the walls. It was like prison cells, but with more space and decoration. Inside it was a couch, a bookcase, a bunk bed, any number of things that a home needed. In the middle of the block was an open area meant for demonstrations most likely. Perhaps auctions for slaves? Lecky might have thought that that was where the batarians conducted executions, but it was impossible to tell, seeing as the block was a blood coated gore warehouse.

The remains of the people were littered everywhere, not many fully intact. Those that were had taken a bullet to the back of the head, execution style. The apartment doors were hanging from their hinges, with the occupants strewn everywhere inside. The whole place smelled, and when looking up, Lecky could see blood had even managed to splatter there, hundreds of feet above him. Judging from the radius of the blood splats, it was as if someone had been thrown up into the ceiling with immense force. A few assorted lamps still burned, casting eerie light across the numerous corpses.

"Jesus," Lecky growled, sloshing through the muck. "Well at least she's leaving a trail. Ah… Fuck."

"I find you humans fascinating," Bau said with a slight grin, directed at Lecky. "You humans take death very seriously, yet here, you show no signs of mental break down or post traumatic stress."

"Seeing dead humans gets to me," Lecky countered smoothly, "but I don't feel anything when I kill a Pig. Tell me, Spectre. Do you feel anything when you kill vermin?"

"Batarian's are as much a living race as you are," Bau replied.

"Maybe a living race, yes," Lecky said, "But compared to humanity? They're Pigs… vermin… We Humans are the exterminators of the galaxy… at least that's how I see it. You folks on your precious Citadel have a rodent problem."

"So you see humans as better than the rest of the galaxy?" Bau asked.

"Better than batarians," Lecky shrugged. "And those turians too. But most humans love the asari… And you salarians are pretty well liked because you resemble the little green men. And a female quarian's suit hugs in all the right places…"

"Are you quite finished?" Vasir sighed. "We get it…"

"Hey, he asked me," Lecky grinned. The three of them spent the next hour poking around the apartments, searching for the Butcher herself, who was perhaps hiding amongst the bodies. They found no one, and continued through the tunnels. The deeper they went, the more bodies they found.

"Do you have a family, Major?" Bau asked nonchalantly as they clambered over a mass of bodies that had piled up in a corridor.

"A wife and daughter," Lecky answered. He turned and took Vasir's hand, hauling her up and over the mass. He then helped Bau up, and the three of them continued.

"How long as it been since you have seen Mrs. Lecky?" Vasir asked softly.

"About six months," Lecky replied as he rounded a corner, keeping watch. "And she's not Mrs. Lecky… she kept her maiden name."

"Oh?" Bau asked. "Is that an option amongst human marriage rituals?" Lecky glanced back at him, before reaching into his back pocket's and taking out a schematic of the tunnels.

"Sure, I guess," Lecky shrugged. "Her surname is Teg. Stephanie Teg. Our daughter is Deborah. She's about seven months old."

"Those are nice names," Bau said with a smile.

000

"Damn, it just doesn't stop with this one," Lecky groaned, looking at more and more bodies. "How far did she go?"

"Where are we on the map?" Vasir asked.

"Near the bottom by now, all that's left is this one hall," Lecky answered, pointing out a spot on his map. "This hall is where… shit!"

"What?" Bau asked, turning and looking at Lecky with surprise.

"When I got this map, it was given to me by a turn coat," Lecky said. "He specifically pointed this spot out as one of the places that the regional commander is housed in. If that's true, and Shepard's killed that fucker, that means that all enemy movement stops in this region. That's a whole damn region, man!" With that, Lecky shoved the map into his pocket and raced down the hall with his gun drawn in anticipation. The Butcher was really pulling through on this one. Just a flight of stairs to go. Lecky rounded the corner, with the two Spectres hot on his tail. They passed through a massive set of swinging double doors and looked up.

The room was larger than the apartment block, with walls that went up endlessly into the darkness. It was several hundred feet across, with dull lights around the edges. In the center, was a tall, throne-like seat that towered above them. The seat was surrounded by bodies, like a mountain reaching up to the feet of the throne. Sitting atop that throne was a creature, rapping its fingers on the head of what must have been the regional commander's. She wore a black, blood coated suit of leather, with her pistol resting on her left leg. Her skin was blackened with blood, her hair caked with it too. Her eyes were a sharp green, peeking out beneath her hair that was shadowing the orbs like a torn curtain.

"I think this was the leader's head," the creature rasped, it's voice a tad deep and commanding. "His men tried to stop me… but I got them all. I… I lost count of them… did you keep count?"

"Shepard?" Lecky asked, lowering his pistol. "Shepard… why don't you… why don't you come down from there?"

"Kyle, you can come out now," Shepard said loudly. A babbling noise suddenly emanated from a dark corner, and Shepard's CO clambered out. Lecky saw the man clutching his face, shaking his head. He had obviously seen his Lieutenant do this to the men of this room. Lecky turned his head back to where Shepard had been seated… and found that she was gone.

"What the…?" Lecky whispered, and turned around to face his comrades, to find Shepard standing between them and him.

"Who are these aliens?" Shepard asked softly. "They're not Pigs…"

"Those are council Spectre's, Shepard," Lecky answered. "They're okay… They're friendly."

"No alien is friendly," Shepard snapped, her right hand gently glowing with biotics.

"That's a commando uniform you are wearing," Vasir growled, her voice sounding strained.

"The previous owner didn't need it," Shepard answered. Shepard turned back to Lecky and smiled at him. Her teeth were as dirty as her skin, chunks of flesh in between like a zombie's.

"Orders, sir?" Shepard asked brightly. "Lieutenant Claire Shepard reporting for duty, Major!"

000

"So…" Felix said softly. "You found Shepard and Kyle?" Dixon, Felix, Lecky, Bau, and Vasir were all back in the tent, Shepard's file in front of them.

"We found what was left of Kyle," Lecky shrugged. "He's not the same guy anymore."

"Who would be after all of that?" Felix asked. "He'll receive the proper treatment. He's getting shipped off world."

"Good for him," Vasir said dryly.

"And Shepard shall be sent to a psych ward on the first ship leaving," Felix said, plopping down in his seat.

"Ah… that is something we wanted to talk to you about, General," Bau said carefully. "Shepard… well, she is a case, I'll give you that… but she has the one thing that all Spectre's must have… Tenacity."

"What?" Dixon asked.

"You see, even with the knowledge of the death of her comrades, the capturing of her CO, the abandonment of her mother, and the death of her father, she still pushed on to get the job done," Bau said. "More Spectre's in Council history, including our first, were suffering from mental diseases themselves."

"Wait…" Lecky objected. "Are you saying what I think your saying?"

"We came here for two reasons," Bau answered. "To halt war crimes… and to evaluate Shepard for our ranks. She's an unstoppable force, but she needs to learn teamwork!"

"No way in hell are you taking this woman as humanities first Spectre!" Felix snapped. "The only ship she's going on is the first one to the loony bin."

"General, such a waste that would be!" Bau argued, pounding his fist into his palm.

"She's insane, Spectre's!" Dixon protested. "The Alliance will not allow this."

"What could we say to change your minds?" Vasir asked, leaning against the table.

"Nothing!" Dixon argued. "Major, what are your thoughts?"

"Eh…" Lecky halted mid puff of his cigarette. "I'll pass on this one. I'm neutral."

"Why don't we make a deal, General?" Bau asked, turning back to the large man. "I've done some reading on your N7 training. If Shepard is as you say she is, she will have no chance. But if she is as tenacious as I think she is, she'll pass with flying colors. Give her a commendation… if she succeeds at N7 training, give her to us for further evaluation. If she fails, send her to your treatment facilities."

"Do you have any idea how that will look?" Felix asked incredulously. "A general of the Alliance giving a butcher an N7 commendation?"

"But think of it in the long term, General," Vasir argued. "You'll be responsible for giving the first human Spectre the training she needed to succeed."

"I've recruited Spectre's in the past, General," Bau said earnestly. "But I have never been this confident about someone before." Felix rubbed his eyes tiredly, and sighed. He looked at the table in front of him, his eyes darting back and forth as if searching for answers in the wood. Finally, he looked up at Bau and said,

"I'm going to regret his." Bau grinned at him with his salarian… charm.

"No…" He replied. "You won't."

000

_A/N: The whole point of this short Butcher of Torfan arc was to set myself away from the other stories of FF. I mean, you always have these Shepard's who are brave, maybe have screwed up lives, but never the less badass. I wanted my own Shepard to be lucky. To have my Shepard be caught up in the whirlwind of life. I mean, how many times have we seen an origin story about some Shepard, who is just talented at everything military? Who was respected or revered by their colleges? I never wanted my Shepard to be liked, I wanted her to be feared. Thank you._


	37. Chapter 37 Riley the God

Shepard rode her bike through the demolished city, the setting sun reflecting off her new aviators. The dirt bike rumbled over bits of concrete, raced across gaps, and swerved around curves with ease. Shepard would have enjoyed this had it not been for the fact that she had hardly any idea where her Sunshine was. When Shepard saw a lone figure racing down the sidewalk, headed for the outskirts of the city, Claire's heart had soared. She gunned it down the street, and watched as the figure turned. When Shepard closed in, her heart sank. It was just that dancer that had been traveling with Inna. Ora.

The asari gawked at the bike that Shepard sat upon and looked at the red haired woman with anxiousness. Their last meeting hadn't been a good one. Claire searched the dancer with skeptical eyes. With a flick of the switch, the bike's engine was shut off. Claire pulled her aviators up onto her head and sat back on the bike.

"Who are you?" Shepard asked pointedly. "When Inna melded with me, I felt traces of you in her mind."

"Y-you did?" Ora asked. "I thought only other asari-?"

"I've had good practice at those kinds of things," Shepard snapped. "What were you doing in my daughter's head?" The asari dancer seemed to puff out her chest a bit. She looked Shepard in the eye, and replied,

"She was hurting. You saw that she had… had killed people. She was suffering, so I relieved her pain by imprinting myself over the bad memories. She'll always know she did it, but she won't see the bodies or remember any of the specifics anymore."

"And what right do you think you had to her mind?" Shepard growled. "You've known each other for a week, and you think you can just enter her mind?"

"I was only going to help her!" Ora fought, taking a defiant step toward the red head. "She let me in!"

"You took advantage of her," Shepard retorted. "She was in a state of pain, and you capitalized on that."

"I did no such thing!" Ora argued, not a hint of hesitation in her voice. "I love-!"

"Shut up with the whole 'I love her' thing!" Shepard snarled, throwing her leg off of the dirt bike and standing. She was a good inch shorter than the asari, but she looked to be a giant. "She's fifty! What are you? A hundred?"

"It's not like that!" Ora retorted. "It's not something I can explain! I mean… she's so… compelling! She's innocent and brave at the same time…"

"You're kissing a kid!" Shepard spat. "That's sick, and I won't tolerate that!"

"Ah, she kissed me first!" Ora argued. "And proposed." Shepard blanched, looking shocked.

"Wait, she proposed to you?" Shepard asked incredulously.

"Twice," Ora answered. "Look, Miss Shepard. It's not going to go anywhere between us… at least not now. I'm not going to date a kid, and I know how this looks. I've told her as much! But she… she made me swear."

"Swear what?" Shepard asked wearily. There was a long silence between the two of them.

"Swear to wait for her," Ora replied softly. "To wait until she's old enough." Shepard placed her hands on her hips and looked down at the ground, searching with her eyes. To say that Inna was infatuated with this dancer would be an understatement. However, Shepard knew that Inna grew attached to people very quickly. This little romance between the two of them held no merit to Claire. She would have to see more of Inna's side to truly wrap her head around this. Shepard looked up, having remembered Inna's toy.

"You bought her a military grade weapons mod for her Omni tool?" Shepard asked. Ora paled at this one.

"Okay, I admit, that was my bad," Ora answered. "She really wanted it, and I thought it was just a toy. But… it was very much real. Still, it saved Inna's life, and mine. If it hadn't been for that bow, your daughter might not be here. She'd probably be in the slave trade, and seeing as she's an asari…" Shepard had to admit that Ora had a point here. She knew how bad the slave trade was outside of Council Space. It made hell look like a tropical island. Shepard stared at her feet for a long time. Suddenly, she turned and got back on her bike.

"Look, it's going to get dark soon, and I need to find my daughter," Shepard said, gripping the handle bars. "I don't know what's going on between the two of you, but I'm going to find out. And I swear on my life, if I find out you've been using her, or have done things to her… I will end your life without a blink. Don't think I won't."

"I'm going with you!" Ora said firmly. Shepard looked her up and down.

"I'll be back for you," Shepard shrugged.

"What are you going to say when Inna asks if you found me or not?" Ora asked firmly, crossing her arms and cocking her hip. Shepard raised a brow, not quite sure what she was looking at. Was this damn alien giving her the eye…? Alien? Shepard's eyes shot open, and she looked away. What had she just thought?! She didn't hate aliens anymore! R-right? Ora took the look away as a sign of shame, and kept up. "Are you going to tell her that you left me behind?" Shepard snapped her eyes up to Ora, causing the dancer to flinch. Shepard's voice was slow and deliberate.

"Get… on… the... back," Shepard growled. Ora seemed to lock up at that. Wait… get on that thing? With Inna's father? Inna's pissed father? Ora tiptoed up the bike and looked it up and down. She slowly swung a leg over it like Shepard had done and sat behind her.

"Uh…" came Ora's confused voice.

"Hold on to something," Shepard ordered.

"Uh… what?" Ora asked. Shepard clenched her eyes and jaw.

"Place your arms around my waist," came Shepard's strangled reply. Ora tentatively did as asked, and she felt Shepard tense up beneath her. This would be a very uncomfortable ride, and not because the bike seemed to hit every bump, as far as Ora could be concerned.

000

Ramirez had showed up about a half an hour after Riley had been operated on. He had rushed to the woman's side and sat beside her along with Bianca. Riley should have been fine, and the doctors had done everything they could have, but the copper-haired goof was still bleeding heavily. Something was preventing her blood from clotting. The Eclipse medics had no idea what the cause was, but judging from the guilty looks Inna had seen from Cilla, she could assume that the red warrior knew what this was…

Inna had her arms crossed in worry. With daylight falling, she had half a mind to just blow off these mercenaries and find Daddy on her own. The only thing stopping her was… well her father. Would Daddy be mad if she left the… well she wouldn't call it safety, but the security of the mercenaries? To rush out into the woods and leave the red asaris behind? Or this Riley woman? Oh, this was all so confusing!

Inna leaned her back against a tree, watching the Eclipse mercenaries. They were mostly milling about, waiting for Cilla to order them to do something. The yellow of their armor was actually pretty to Inna amongst the oranges, reds, and gold of the leaves, both on the trees and littering the forest floor. That, coupled with the setting sun made it look as if the world was dyed hues of orange. Inna wondered if this was what Velighied looked like.

Inna suddenly heard a faint noise. She stepped away from the tree, listening as the droning sound got louder every second. It sounded like an engine, but none that she had ever heard before. The sound was getting closer! By now, the mercenaries had heard the noise as well and were all forming in the direction of the noise, like moths to a flame. Cilla pushed her way through the crowd of yellow armored bodies and looked down the rise. With the threat level being zero, the mercenaries didn't draw their weapons. Suddenly, out of the trees, came some sort of… vehicle. It had two people riding it…

"Daddy!" Inna cried. She raced to the vehicle, and saw that her father was shutting the engine off. By the time Inna got there, her father was scooping her up and hugging her fiercely. Inna's heart soared and she felt like she was going to explode into a biotic ball of emotion. She never wanted to let go…

"I'm here, Baby…" Shepard whispered softly, only loud enough for Inna to hear. "My Sunshine…" After a few tense minutes of Inna hugging her father with all of her might, Inna said,

"Daddy, your friend is in trouble!"

"What?" Shepard asked with alarm.

"That Riley woman, she's hurt," Inna looked behind her and pointed to the ship. Shepard planted a kiss on Inna's cheek and took off for the ship, apparently not seeing the awestruck Cilla standing to the right. The red warrior had her mouth hanging open like a fly trap. Suddenly, soft hands gripped Inna's shoulders. A gentle, soothing, and familiar voice whispered,

"Hey, Sugar." Inna whirled around and happily cried,

"Ora!" Before Ora could say another word, Inna pressed her lips to the older asari's. Ora gently kissed her back and hugged her.

"I was so worried about you!" Ora said. "My brave Hero had gone missing."

"Don't forget gorgeous, talented, romantic-!" Inna was silenced by a quick kiss. Ora couldn't help but notice the differences between the interactions she had just witnessed. Inna seemed like such a little girl when she talked to her father, but was cocky and much more certain around Ora. Maybe when Inna was around her father, she felt as if she didn't have to be brave, or certain, Ora reasoned. She could just lean on her father for guidance. But when she was without her father's direction, she became the adventurer Ora had come to love. Would there ever be a time that Inna would look to Ora for that kind of support, the kind of support she gets from her father? Ora would gladly give it.

"You don't need to worry about me," Inna said softly. She looked up and smiled broadly. "I can't wait for you to meet my family! Mother, Rose, and Benezia will love you, I just know it!" Ora's smiled faltered a bit, because she knew very well that they would not love her. Ora just decided to roll with it, and keep smiling. Wasn't that what she had taught Inna? Just keep smiling.

000

Shepard rushed aboard the ship and saw Riley laying on a cot, her neck wrapped in bloody bandages lathered in medi-gel. Shepard felt her heart pounding. Not Riley. Not her… Shepard raced to her friend's side and looked her over. Riley's eyes were closed, but her face looked like she was in pain. Well, who wouldn't be with a hole in their damn neck?

"What happened?" Shepard asked to no one in particular. Bianca softly answered,

"The Eclipse mercs didn't know we were friendly, and they saw Riley's shotgun. Even though my love is dying on this table, when I think about it, I don't blame them for shooting. Riley's shotgun isn't something you can just buy off the Extranet. They must have thought she was one of the one's terrorizing the colonists. Luckily, their leader came and told them we were okay. They've tried working on Riley, but something is stopping her blood from clotting, and the medi-gel doesn't seem to be doing anything. She won't heal…" Shepard's mind raced to find a solution.

"Her blood's not clotting…" Shepard whispered to herself. Her heart stopped. Could it be? It seemed wild, but… she couldn't chance it with Riley. If this was what Claire thought it was… "Bianca. Was she sneezing or coughing a lot before she was shot?" Bianca looked at her with surprise.

"Yes!" She answered. "And when we got out of the shuttle, we saw that she had vomited." Claire's color paled.

"Dammit!" she snapped. "I know why she's dying…" Back when Claire had first become ill, all those years ago, she had cut her finger on a kitchen knife. It was a small cut, but it didn't

close. Ever. The cut kept bleeding no matter what she, Liara, and Miranda did to it. This was the Disease… Somehow, Riley had gotten it. Which meant there was only one way to fix her: the cure vial! But… Claire didn't have it with her… she had placed the cure vial in…

"Where's my dog?!" Claire shouted, standing up. Ramirez and Bianca looked at her.

"The dog?" Ramirez asked. "Why?"

"I placed that syringe in the bag Rambo was dropped in," Shepard answered. "Who's in charge here?!" Suddenly, Claire was face to face, nose to nose, with a grinning red asari. An… unfamiliar one. This one was much fiercer looking than Rowena and Rae were and had a few scars on her jaw. And she was wearing a lot of leather.

"I am!" came a brisk reply. "Cilla Valeres, at your service!"

"More of you?!" Shepard groaned. Cilla didn't skip a beat.

"I can find your dog for you!" Cilla gushed. "What race is he? Salarian? Turian? We'll find him!"

"He's… he's not an alien, he's a dog," Claire replied, her head beginning to spin. "Named Rambo. He's got four legs, icy blue eyes… really furry." Cilla didn't blink.

"Sanchez!" Cilla roared, causing Shepard to flinch as a speck of spit rained onto her cheek. "Get that damn drone up, we're looking for a dog! Grab any medical supplies that it has with it! ON THE DOUBLE!" Cilla's eyes never left Claire's, and before Shepard could react, a datapad and stylus was shoved into her hands.

"Autograph, please," Cilla grinned. Shepard looked at her.

"Uh… you know me?" Shepard asked.

"I'm your number one fan!" Cilla replied. "You have to teach me some moves!" Shepard hurriedly scribbled down her name on the datapad, and tossed it back to the red asari, who gawked at it with awe. Shepard ran back to Riley and gripped her hand.

"Don't worry, Riley, we'll fix you right up!" Shepard promised. "You can count on that. Don't you give up, Putz!" Ramirez stood up and rounded the cot.

"I'll go help search for the dog," Ramirez said. "Just to make sure nothing happens to him."

"Good," Shepard answered with a nod. "Tell Inna to come here, please."

"Sure," Ramirez replied.

000

Inna knelt beside her father and gripped her free hand. The ship was hot inside, with weapon's racks, medical equipment, and other assorted supplies strewn about, making the inside look like a market for the military. Shepard still felt the presence of the red asari merc hovering behind her, watching her every move like a damn hawk. Cilla was all but bouncing.

Rowena and Rae were now inside as well, sticking with the people that had saved them from their prison. The only place they had seen for a year. Shepard had noticed that they looked awfully skinny, so she made plans to tell Liara to get something big cooking when they got home. Now there was that mercenary though… Shepard was aware of Rowena's glances at her, so she figured they knew each other. Maybe good friends?

"Will she be alright, Shepard?" Rowena asked.

"If we get that syringe, she'll be more than alright," Shepard replied in a gentle whisper. "In fact, she'll have never felt better." She felt Inna rest her head on her shoulder, so Shepard released her hand and wrapped her now freed one around the girl's shoulders. Inna leaned against her father, feeling Ora's hand on her back, rubbing in warmth.

"I was so worried for you, Daddy," Inna whispered.

"You worried about me?" Shepard smiled, giving her a squeeze. "I'm supposed to worry about you. I hear you were quite the little warrior while you were trying to find me." Inna let out a tiny laugh.

"I think you rubbed off on me," Inna smiled. Shepard's own smile evaporated. She looked away from her Sunshine and muttered, just loud enough to hear,

"I sure hope not…"

000

Ramirez and a few Eclipse Mercenaries had followed the Drone, which informed them that a tiny heat signature was laying just ahead. Ramirez wondered why an energetic puppy like Rambo would stay in one spot for so long. Wouldn't any normal dog his age want to explore and play? Ramirez rounded a tree.

"Oh, that's why," Ramirez growled. He rushed forward. Rambo was actually gnawing on the syringe, his teeth breaking through the plastic. Ramirez swooped down and yanked the syringe away, causing Rambo to yap in anger. Ramirez inspected the syringe. It had a few holes in it, and judging from the substance oozing out, some of the medicine had gotten into Rambo's mouth, and his saliva was most likely mixed within the syringe.

"Shit, I hope this is still usable," Ramirez muttered.

000

Shepard heard Ramirez coming before he arrived. Shepard stood from Riley's side and whipped around. The man had returned carrying Rambo under one arm, and the syringe in the opposite hand. Shepard closed the distance between them and took the syringe.

"Ah, Shepard-!" Ramirez began, his voice filled with warning. But before he could continue, Shepard jabbed the syringe into Riley's arm, startling everyone, and pushing the hammer down. Shepard sighed with relief.

"She's gonna be okay!" Shepard declared.

"Ah… Shepard…" Ramirez coughed. "Um… I dunno how to say this, but… Rambo's spit was in that." Shepard froze mid speech, her mouth hanging open as if she were about to say something important.

"W-what?" Shepard asked, her eyes wide.

"I found him chewing on the syringe like a stick," Ramirez answered, holding the guilty looking dog out. "I think his saliva dripped in through the holes, and he might have tasted some of the medicine." Shepard gulped hard, but before she could answer, there was a soft moan from the cot beside her legs.

"Riley!" Everyone cried, and knelt beside the woman, who was sitting up. Shepard peeled away the bandages over her friend's neck and saw only blood encrusted skin. No wound was visible. Bianca let out a relieving sob and wrapped her arms around Riley's shoulders from behind. Riley looked around, bleary eyed like a goat. Her hair was a mess, and her expression was simply comical.

"W-what happened?" Riley slurred, rubbing her eyes. The medics were staring at her in shock. The stuffy inside of the ship seemed a bit more welcoming now that the joker herself was alright. Easiness flooded the air.

"You were shot, Riley," Shepard said kindly. "But you're okay now. I fixed you right up, Putz."

"Err, how?" Riley asked, holding her hands over her eyes, as if the dimly lit ship was still too bright for her.

"I… I gave you that syringe that my bondmate sent," Shepard answered, searching the ground. "It was meant for me, in case I got hurt, but… I gave it to you. Look, you're going to be just fine."

"I feel different…" Riley growled. "Ah… Damn, has anyone got any raw steak? Like… really bloody?" Ramirez made a gagging sound.

"Look… Riley, there's no easy way to say this…" Shepard whispered. She gripping Riley's shoulder firmly, trying to give her support. "So… I guess I'll just say it. That syringe I gave you… that's why I look so young. It… it gives you and me, humans, an asari lifespan. You'll look as young and as beautiful as you do now for another thousand years." There was a long, stretched silence that wrapped around everyone in the ship. For a long, heart pounding span of time, no one moved or even breathed. Bianca was staring at Shepard with wide, blood shot eyes. Everyone turned their attention to Riley, waiting for a reaction.

"C-claire…" Riley whispered.

"Yes, Riley?" Shepard asked softly, gulping hard.

"D-do you… do you know what this means?" Riley asked, and Shepard thought she heard anger in her voice. Riley was tensed up beneath Shepard's hand.

"Look, I know this is hard to take in-" Suddenly, Riley tackled Claire to the floor, her body convulsing with hysterical laughs.

"This means you're going to have to deal with me for another thousand years!" Riley roared. "Shit, this is so cool!" There was several sighs and just as many groans. Yep… Riley would be just fine. "Hey, James! I bet I got you with the steak thing! I can't believe you injected me with dog spit, you sicko! That's something_ I_ would do!"

"Ah, get off of me," Shepard growled, pushing Riley off. "You're impossible…"

"Ah, come on!" Riley groaned. "Sheesh!" Riley sprang up, her medical robe flying off leaving her bare in front of perhaps twenty people. "Riley Teg! I'm a god! _Bow before me!_"


	38. Chapter 38 Home at Last

"Riley… put some clothes on," Bianca sighed, although her voice was thick with emotion. Riley gazed down on her 'subjects' and grinned.

"All of you mortals should be in awe at being in the presence of a god!" Riley answered. Still, she hopped down from the cot and pulled the medical gown back around her. The mercenaries all flooded out, giving them privacy on Cilla's quick order. Yet, the red asari herself stayed behind. Riley hugged Bianca tightly, whispering calming words to her. Bianca quivered as Riley attempted to calm her down.

"Shepard…" Bianca whispered. "Is this true? Will Riley…?"

"Riley will stay this way for another thousand years," Claire confirmed with a reassuring smile. "You'll grow old together." Bianca let out a shaky breath, before closing her eyes and kissing the copper-haired goofball on the lips.

"This is… a lot to take in," Bianca said after she had taken her lips away.

"I know," Claire answered. "Trust me, I know…"

"Don't worry, Bee," Riley soothed. "I'm not going anywhere. You'll just have to accept that I'll be following you around for the next thousand years." Bianca sniffled and hugged Riley's neck. There wasn't even a scar on her pale skin. It was like something out of a vid.

"Thank you, Daddy," Inna whispered. "That was amazing of you, to do that for them."

Shepard grinned. "Let's go outside. Hey uh… Miss Valeres?" Cilla perked up and looked at Shepard eagerly.

"Yes, Shepard?"

"Did these guys come down in both pods?" Shepard asked.

"They came down in one," Cilla answered. "The other pod was found empty, with several pairs of boot prints surrounding it and the imprint of a heavy lift shuttle in the grass. Whoever was in that pod was lifted off world."

"Really…?" Shepard asked thoughtfully. "Who could have…?" Her eyes bulged. She looked around and saw Riley staring at her with a similar expression.

"Shepard…"

"We contacted the other mercenary groups," Cilla coughed. "They never sent any shuttle, nor did they see any ship leave. The only traffic has been my own ships."

"Are you sure?" Shepard asked. "Have the other groups been actually monitoring traffic?"

"Well… no," Cilla answered. "We were given the all clear once the Legacy went down."

"Damn," Shepard cursed. "Riley?" "Could someone have taken Skeletor and Clifford?" Riley asked. "But who…?" The ship was silent with everyone thinking hard. Where was the Empress? Where was March? Had someone taken them?

"Thermal readings show no one else matching your descriptions on planet," Cilla said. "They're not here anymore, not that they would be much of a threat. Their army and their ship are gone now."

"Are you sure about that?" Inna asked.

"Positive," Cilla answered. "I don't think we have to worry about those two, as much as I would love to see that fight. Between the Great Shepard and synthetic monsters…" Shepard rose her brow at the red asari. Shepard placed her hands on her hips.

"Are you sure they're not on planet? That they're no longer a threat?" Shepard asked.

"Positive."

"Then that's that," Shepard said.

"Wait, we're not going to hunt them down?" Ramirez asked. "What if-?"

"I don't care about them anymore," Shepard said. "My daughter is here, Riley almost died, and I just want to go home. If they show up again, I'll order a hit or something. But, to be honest, I'm tired, I'm dirty, and I miss my bondmate. I miss my two other daughters. I miss my bed. I miss my couch. I miss hunting in the woods. I miss sleeping in. I'm done. This war is over as far as I am concerned. You can all go home now. Now, where can I make a call?"

000

After two days of her relatives fussing over her, and several failed attempts at catching her guilty looking daughter's eyes, Liara was ready to go home. She had sent all her visitors home themselves, saying that while they may want to see Shepard very much when she got home, Liara wanted her family together again. She wanted peace. The family was smart enough to not ignore Liara, whose pointed stares would cause even the most experience Krogan Battlemaster's to cower in fear.

Now, she was riding home, with the woods whipping by below them. Katya had been kind enough to take Benezia and Lydia out for a while so that Liara and Rose could talk. Liara wasn't sure what was nagging her daughter. She knew it wasn't her being in the hospital. Liara had had time to study her daughter's looks, her mannerisms, and she knew them like they were her own... as only a mother could. There was a look of worry when Liara was sick or in trouble. Then, there was the guilty look that Rose wore now. This was a rare look, so when Rose did have it, it was very evident. Those were only a few of the many faces of Rose.

Liara rapped her fingers against the arm rest, looking out the passenger side window with content. She sighed, attempting to break the silence. This wasn't comfortable for either of them. Liara liked to hear Rose talk. And Rose was a talker.

"Hm…" Liara sighed once more.

"Are you feeling alright, Mother?" Rose asked. "Headaches? Heart pain?"

"Oh, no, Sweet Heart," Liara smiled. "I am feeling fine. I am still worried sick, but with a few days' rest, I feel much better. I think rest was all that I needed. Plenty of rest." Rose opened and closed her mouth in agitation.

"You… you should have stayed in bed," Rose mumbled. "I could have taken care of you, Mother. I could have…" Liara raised an arm and gently rubbed Rose's arm.

"I love you, Rosemary," Liara said, "but I am your mother. You fussing over me is not your job. It is the other way around."

"But I do worry, Mamma," Rose said softly. "I have always worried. My family is more important to me than anything. Especially… especially you. I would die if you…" Liara rubbed Rose's neck.

"Stop talking, Rose," Liara whispered. "Just take us home. I am alright now."

000

The ride home was once again filled with silence, with Rose seeming even tenser. When Liara walked through the front door, she sighed.

"Finally, home," Liara smiled. Liara flopped down on the couch and let her head fall back. "It's so good to be home."

"Mamma…" Rose whispered. She pulled Liara along in the direction of the office. Liara sighed and rose from her comfortable position. Maybe she and Rose could finally talk? Rose led Liara into the office, and the elder asari found it much tidier than she had left it. Everything had been dusted and straightened.

"Oh, you cleaned for me," Liara smiled. "You shouldn't have." Suddenly, Rose began to spill out everything that she had been keeping in. It came out so fast, it was dizzying.

"ItookoverasShadowBrokerI'msosorrypleasedon'tbemad atmeIloveyousomuchIwasjustscaredpleasepleaseplease !" Rose wailed, tears streaming down her face. It was like a dam breaking. Her mouth just kept on spilling word after word, confession after confession, apology after apology. Liara felt like she had been socked in the stomach. What deity had cursed her? What great sin had she committed? What had Rose been thinking? All of Liara's worst fears were being realized. Her innocent baby girl had just been thrust into the world of information trade, some of the most dangerous in the galaxy. What had Rose seen? Experienced? Done? What had she been told by Liara's agents? Had she been handling transactions, logistics, or any number of things that Liara took care of on a daily basis? Who had Rose been in contact with? Liara couldn't find a bridge to convey her thoughts into words. All she could do was breathe,

"What?!"

"I am so sorry, Mamma!" Rose sobbed. "You were gone, and Daddy was gone, and I'm the oldest so I had to take over for you! I had to keep searching for Daddy, and I had to make sure nothing happened to-!" Liara snapped,

"No! No, Rose! You were never supposed to use this!" Liara gestured to the large wall of screens. "That command was for if I had been killed!"

"Mamma-!"

"I cannot even look at you!" Liara cried. "What did you do?!"

"I ordered the soldiers you sent to destroy that ship!" Rose wept. Rose was shivering with guilt, self-loathing, and fear. She wasn't afraid of her mother, she was afraid of being hated by her mother. Would Mamma hate her now? Rose had done something terrible… she just knew it.

"Without working to find out who was on board?!" Liara snarled. "You didn't even know who was aboard!" Liara covered up her face with her hands. She couldn't believe this was happening. This couldn't be happening. This couldn't be…

"Mamma, I'm so sorry!" Rose sobbed. "Please, forgive me…" Rose made a motion to approach Liara with big, glistening eyes and a pleading expression. Liara couldn't think. She didn't think. All she could hear was a ringing noise like a bomb had gone off not three feet away from her. She could only see white light, her blinding anger. Her own fear. She acted. Rose's gasp cut through the ringing noise like a baby's cry during a bad play. Liara focused on Rose, and saw her clutching her cheek, which had colored into the imprint of a hand. Liara had slapped her. And yet Rose still advanced. She was ready, no, willing to take any punishment if it meant remaining with her mother. She wouldn't stop unless at her mother's own command.

"No, Rose," Liara growled. "Go to your room!" Rose froze mid step. Her expression was frozen, her mouth was hanging open. The room was deathly silent.

"A-a… are you sending me away, Mamma?" Rose whispered, only loud enough to barely be heard.

"Go," Liara ordered. "I want you out of my sight." A stray tear fell down Rose's face. In a shaky, pitiful voice, while slowly turning and going to the door, she whimpered,

"Okay."

Rose had her hands linked together against her chest, and she halted at the door frame. She waited for only a mili-second, desperately hoping for her mother to open her arms back up and welcome her. When Liara didn't twitch, Rose limped from the office feeling as if a bullet had just been fired through her heart. Rose felt dead.

Liara watched her daughter go, and once she was sure that Rose had gone to her room, she closed the office door and began to sob. She collapsed into her chair and covered her face. The tears fell freely, like little streams or brooks down her freckled, blue cheeks. Suddenly, a synthesized voice quipped, "Welcome home, Doctor. Miss Rose returned power to you via her datapad three hours ago. She made little to no changes and merely kept things running for you. The destruction of the ship over Akuze was followed by relief ships being sent down per your daughter's orders. Two-thirds of the colonists survived. In addition to these reports, all mercenary groups are

pulling away and returning to their respective bases. Also, the Commander sent a message: she is returning home." Liara froze. What? Had she heard correctly? Had her love sent a message? Shepard…

"Play the message!" Liara cried frantically. Suddenly, Shepard's heavenly voice graced the air of the heated office, causing Liara's heart to once more stop.

"Liara, it's me, Baby," Shepard said softly. "I just wanted you to know that we are coming home. By the time this reaches you, we will have already dropped Ramirez off at one of your bases and begun a bee line for Thessia." Liara heard the sound of rustling, like Shepard was walking around. "Inna is here with me, and she is perfectly fine. She's eager to see you again. Hey… don't worry, I've talked to her and worked out a punishment: she gets to mow the lawn until we move to our new place. Honestly… Li… Goddess… Liara, I… I think we should just take it easy on her for a while." Liara's mind raced. What had happened to Inna? "She should be fine, she's just… been through a lot. Apparently it was a long trip. Then there is this Ora person…" Liara sniffed. The stripper… "I'm not sure what to think in that department. I've talked to her, gotten both sides… Inna's crazy for this woman, and I mean crazy. Ora said that Inna proposed a few times on their journey here.

"Inna's kissed Ora several times," Shepard continued. "I've put a stop to that. If Inna's been telling the truth, Ora respects her very much, and has never forced Inna into anything. She doesn't seem like a poor person… but I'm not going to decide anything until you and I have talked okay? Could Inna see this woman again? Could they talk over the link? What do you think?" Liara was pretty sure that Inna would never have any contact with this Ora woman ever again… but she would talk about it. Think about it. "I can vouch for Ora in that she always put our daughter's safety ahead of her own," Shepard said. "I've seen Inna's whole trip through the meld, and I saw that Ora always acted like Inna's shield. Then on the ship… Ora did everything she could to keep our daughter safe." Considered. Rejected. Inna wasn't going to see Ora again.

"Liara I need you to get the guest rooms downstairs ready for a few visitors," Shepard said. "We'll be taking in a few folks. I'll tell you everything when I get home, Sweetheart. Just do this for me okay? You may also want to stock up the kitchen, I don't know how long these guests will be here. This has to do with Rose." Liara blinked. What were these people to Rose? "Oh, and please order in some dog food, I'm bringing home a new member of the family. A little fur ball named Rambo. Oh, Liara you're going to be in love! He's going to get big so we'll need the good stuff for him. Only the best for Mamma's little boy? He's a good puppy! Yes you are! Yes you are!" Liara giggled at Shepard's strange voice. She heard soft barking in the background.

"Tell the girls I love them, Liara," Shepard said firmly. "Inna and I will be home in the next few hours. Just get the house ready and wait for us. I want the girls to be surprised. Alright? I love you, Babe. I'll see you this afternoon." Liara stood with a joyful grin, just as happy tears fell. This was all such a shock, but who cared? Claire was coming home, Inna was safe, and Rose… Rose… Rose was most likely sobbing to death in her room right now. Liara cursed under her breath. She should have known who Rose was by now, with the relationship they had. She was her daughter for goodness sakes! Perhaps a talk would have been better…

Liara took a deep breath and left the office, ignoring a chattering Glyph. Liara rounded the stairs and scaled them, going straight to Rose's room. She walked down the hall, gently opened the door, and looked at the bed. Rose was sitting with her back to the door, shivering and crying, her knees tucked to her chest. Liara saw Rose tense up, feeling her mother behind her.

"Come here, Love," Liara said softly. Rose scrambled off of the bed and flung her arms around Liara.

"I'm so sorry, Mamma," Rose wept into Liara's shoulder.

"I am sorry as well, Rose," Liara answered. She rubbed Rose's back. "I shouldn't have slapped you, I was just scared. I never wanted you to go through that. Being the Broker is my burden, not yours."

"I just wanted to help you," Rose whimpered. "I had to do it! I'm the oldest, it was my responsibility to take care of everyone."

"And you did fantastically," Liara hushed. "You did everything right. Promise me though, Rose. Promise me you will never become the Broker ever again, no matter what happens."

"I swear!" Rose cried. "Just don't hate me."

"I could never hate you," Liara whispered. "All I can do is love you. Do you understand? I love you."

"I love you so much, Mamma," Rose nodded, kissing Liara's cheek. "I understand."

"Good," Liara whispered. "Do you forgive me for hitting you?"

"Only if you forgive me," Rose said, resting her forehead to Liara's.

"I forgive you," Liara smiled.

"I forgive you, Mamma," Rose agreed. Liara kissed Rose's forehead and clapped her hands.

"Good," She said. "Rose, please call your sister and tell them to get as much food as the kitchen can hold. Once that is done, help me get the guest rooms downstairs ready."

"Is someone visiting, Mother?" Rose asked, without a sign that she had just been bawling her eyes out.

"Yes, very soon," Liara nodded. "Within the next few hours. Now let's get to work, Sweetheart."

000

Shepard stepped onto the tarmac at the Armali travel hub, dropped to her knees, and kissed the ground. She was finally home. After a month away without seeing her wife, she was eager to show off her new look. Well… old look. She was strong and muscular again after all this

time, not anywhere near what she was during the war, but well on her way back. She wouldn't let up working out. Liara would be pleased.

"I haven't been to Thessia in some time," Ora said. "Not since I dropped out of sch… Uh, never mind." Shepard rose and said,

"Alright, time to unload my bike! If I see one scratch on it, I'll be breaking some bones!"

"There are already about a hundred scratches on it, Shepard," Cilla replied.

"I counted them, so I don't want to see any more," Shepard grinned. She turned to Inna, who was talking eagerly to Ora. She would hate to do this, but until she and Liara figured something out, this would have to be. She walked over to them, and cleared her throat.

"Time to say goodbye, Inna," Shepard said. Inna gasped.

"What?!" She cried. "But Ora's going to-!"

"No," Shepard said firmly. "You're still in trouble young lady, don't think you got off that easy. It's time to see your mother and sisters alright? When your mother and I have talked about it, you may see Ora again."

"But-!"

"Inna, your dad's right," Ora sighed. "You know this doesn't look good." Inna seemed on the verge of tears.

"But I don't want you to go!" Inna choked. Ora looked to Shepard, idly chewing a piece of gum.

"Can we have a moment?" She asked. Shepard slowly nodded. Ora took Inna's shoulders in her hand and steered her around the corner. She hugged Inna tightly and whispered,

"This won't be the last time you see me, I swear it."

"You can't go," Inna sniffled. "We're going to get bonded and I'm going to take care of you and we're going to-"

"You're so sweet, Sugar," Ora chuckled. "We'll be together again before you know it. Time flies the older you get, trust me." Inna let out a shaky breath.

"Maybe I could find a way to sneak you into my room…" Inna mumbled. Ora cracked a laugh, and Inna had to smile. "Yeah… it's stupid."

"You're not stupid, Sugar," Ora said firmly. "You're talented, gorgeous, brave, and smart, to name a few things. I'm lucky to have even gotten to know you as I do, and anyone who is lucky enough to know you should feel the same way." Inna wiped her eyes with the back of her hands.

"You mean it?" Inna asked.

"Hell yeah I do, Sugar," Ora answered. "Now, give me that smile, you. I want a picture." Ora held up her Omni and waited for Inna to smile. "No, no, no. I need something special." Ora brought Inna into a one armed embrace, and they both smiled into the camera. There was a soft click, and they shared a look. Ora looked at the photo and sent Inna a copy.

"I'll cherish this picture forever, Ora," Inna said. Ora smiled.

"Same," she replied. "Now it's time for you to go home." Inna hesitated.

"C-can I kiss you one more time?" Inna asked. Ora chuckled. Inna gasped when Ora grabbed her hips.

"Pucker up, Sugar."

000

Shepard waited impatiently for Inna to come back. The red asari were waiting in a car with tinted windows, keeping out of view. The car was apparently owned by Cilla, who had spent time on Thessia before. Shepard leaned against the car, waiting for her daughter. The dirt bike was on a small trailer, and Rambo was waiting in the car as well.

"It's been fun, Granny," Riley grinned, sidling up in one of Bianca's leather outfits.

"Looking good, Putz," Claire said, returning the grin. "I'm going to miss you."

"Ah, you better believe I'll be visiting," Riley replied. "Got to check in on you, make sure you didn't bust a hip."

"Funny," Claire snorted. "Though, I guess I owe you for forcing me to get back into shape." Suddenly, Riley was hugging Claire with all her might.

"I fucking love you, man!" Riley cried. "You better call me!"

"Alright, alright, I will!" Claire laughed as Riley shook her. "Sheesh!"

"Riley let's go," Bianca sighed. "Say goodbye to Shepard."

"Aw!" Riley protested. "Five more minutes?!"

"No, let her go home," Bianca said firmly. "Come on." Riley muttered under her breath. "What was that?"

"Nothing!" Riley waved sheepishly. "Bye Claire! Say hi to the wife and kids for me!" Claire waved her off and smiled to herself. She would miss Riley very much. Suddenly, Claire looked up and saw a staggering figure approach her. Inna had a dazed expression, and her lips were covered in smeared lipstick. Her clothes were ruffled and her eyes were wide. When she reached Claire, she opened her mouth and coughed up a pink ball.

"I… I wasn't chewing gum…" Inna slurred. She looked up. "I'm in love, Daddy."

000

"They're here!" Liara cried. "Everyone go outside!" She ushered Rose, Benezia, Katya, and Lydia outside as a car pulled into the driveway. When the car stopped, and a red headed figure hopped out, there were cries of anguish and longing. All four young asari ran to the human and jumped her. Claire was sent sprawling as Benezia and Rose kissed her all over the face, sobbing their eyes out.

"Hey, I missed you too guys!" Claire grinned. "Daddy's home!"

"Daddy!" Rose and Benezia cried like little girls. It took ages to untangle herself from them, and when Inna got out, it was her turn. Claire watched the frenzy of girls embrace Inna and begin to pepper her with questions.

"Ahem," a voice coughed. Claire turned and was kissed by her bondmate with passion. Claire couldn't formulate words. It was all too much. She felt a tear roll down her cheek. She was finally home. Finally able to embrace her wife. "Oh Claire… I've missed you!"

"I've missed you too, Liara," Shepard whispered, kissing Liara softly. "We're all together now." She felt Liara's hand brush against her stomach, and Liara halted.

"Oh… oh, Claire!" Liara whispered. "You've been… working out."

"Yeah!" Claire laughed sheepishly. "I figured that might be a good idea seeing as I was going to fight again." Liara rubbed Claire's abs hungrily.

"Well, I know what we're doing tonight," Liara grinned. "I've got to… evaluate these."

"Oh, goddess I've missed you… Liara…" Suddenly, Liara froze. She was looking over Claire's shoulder, to the car. Shepard turned and saw Cilla, Rae, and Rowena get out of the car, and look around. Rose gasped loudly and became as still as a statue. The red asari saw Rose, and Rae's eyes widened. She took a step forward.

_"R-Renee?!"_

000

**_To Be continued..._**

**_A/N: This concludes the Contagion. Special Thanks to GoldenPath for editing my work, and thank you to all of you who took the time to read my work, and provide feedback. I'll see you all in the next chapter, my new story, The Lost Ones._**


	39. Thank You, All

**_Thank you to all who read The Contagion. I thoroughly enjoyed writing it for you all, and I thank you all who read, decided to favorite, and/or left a review. Thank you very much to GoldenPath for reading and editing, she has been an immense amount of help. I could not ask for a better beta. Now, I am focusing on the next chapter of the Red Asari Ark, The Lost Ones. Be sure to check that out if you enjoy my writing, and that is where the story continues. Thank you again, and I will see you there._**

**_~AmericanHind_**


End file.

Mass Effect, Adventure, Romance